Correlation between Ornithine Decarboxylase and Putrescine in Tomato Plants Infected by Citrus Exocortis Viroid or Treated with Ethephon

We have investigated the arginine decarboxylase (ADC, EC 4.1.1.19) and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC, EC 4.1.1.17) activities and the levels of conjugated polyamines to explain the decrease of free putrescine level caused by citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd) and ethephon treatment in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv Rutgers) plants (J.M. Belles, J. Carbonell, V. Conejero [1991] Plant Physiol 96: 1053-1059). This decrease correlates with a decrease in ODC activity in CEVd-infected or ethephon-treated plants; ADC activity was not altered. CEVd infection had no effect on polyamine conjugates, and ethephon produced a decrease in putrescine conjugates. Interference with ethylene action by silver ions prevented the decrease in ODC activity and in free and conjugated putrescine. It is suggested that changes in putrescine level after CEVd infection and ethephon treatment are regulated via ODC activity and that conjugation is not involved.     

Pathogenesis-related proteins and polyamines in a developmental mutant of tomato, epinastic

The polyamine level and the accumulation of pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins were studied in the ethylene overproducing Epinastic (Epi) tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) mutant, as compared with its parent, cv VFN8. Neither a decreased putrescine level nor an enhanced production of PR proteins were detected in Epi, contrary to what could be expected from our previous studies (JM Bellés, J Carbonell, V Conejero [1991] Plant Physiol 96: 1053-1059). However, treatment with the ethylene-releasing compound 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid (ethephon) or silver nitrate at high doses induced a decrease in putrescine content and an enhancing of the synthesis of PR proteins in Epi as ascertained by immunoblot analysis using antisera raised against Rutgers tomato PR proteins.     

PCR detection of hemolysin (vhh) gene in Vibrio harveyi

The Vibrio harveyi hemolysin gene (vhh), which encodes for a virulence factor involved in pathogenicity to fish and shellfish species, may be targeted for species detection or strain differentiation. Primers designed for this gene were used in detection studies of V. harveyi strains from various hosts. One primer set among four tested, could amplify the expected gene fragment in PCR using templates from all 11 V. harveyi strains studied. Detection of the presence of the hemolysin gene could therefore serve as a suitable detection marker of Vibrio harveyi isolates potentially pathogenic to fish and shrimps.     

Induction of gentisic acid 5-O-beta-D-xylopyranoside in tomato and cucumber plants infected by different pathogens

Tomato plants infected with the citrus exocortis viroid exhibited strongly elevated levels of a compound identified as 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (gentisic acid, GA) 5-O-beta-D-xylopyranoside. The compound accumulated early in leaves expressing mild symptoms from both citrus exocortis viroid-infected tomato, and prunus necrotic ringspot virus-infected cucumber plants, and progressively accumulated concomitant with symptom development. The work presented here demonstrates that GA, mainly associated with systemic infections in compatible plant-pathogen interactions [Bellés, J.M., Garro, R., Fayos, J., Navarro, P., Primo, J., Conejero, V., 1999. Gentisic acid as a pathogen-inducible signal, additional to salicylic acid for activation of plant defenses in tomato. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 12, 227-235], is conjugated to xylose. Notably, this result contrasts with those previously found in other plant-pathogen interactions in which phenolics analogues of GA as benzoic or salicylic acids, are conjugated to glucose.     

A possible role of prolyl oligopeptidase during Linum usitatissimum (flax) seed development

Involvement of prolyl oligopeptidases (POPs) in the control of several mammalian peptide hormone signalling pathways has been studied extensively in recent years. POPs are ubiquitous enzymes, but little attention has been paid to understanding their function in plants. Using a cDNA-AFLP approach, two flax (Linum usitatissimum) POP ESTs were identified as being specifically expressed in the early stages of flax seed development. This specific expression was confirmed using real time RT-PCR and in situ hybridisation approaches. Seed expression of Arabidopsis POP genes was measured and showed no specificity. Comparison between results obtained with flax and Arabidopsis is discussed in order to address a hypothetic function for POPs during seed formation. These results provide the first insights into POP gene expression and hypothetical function in plants.     

Rhodium and iridium olefin complexes with bulky cyclopentadienyl and hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate ligands

The synthesis of a series of rhodium and iridium complexes bearing bulky cyclopentadienyl or hydro(trispyrazolyl)borate ligands is described. The rhodium cyclopentadienyl and hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate diene compounds, [(η⁵-C₅Me₄Bu^t)Rh(η⁴-2,3-MeRC₄H₄] (R = H, 1; Me, 2) and Tp^MsRh(η⁴-2,3-MeRC₄H₄) (R = H, 3; Me, 4; Tp^Ms is hydrotris(3-mesitylpyrazol-1-yl)borate), respectively, have been prepared from the corresponding Rh(I) diene precursors and Zn(C₅Me₄Bu^t)₂ (for 1 and 2), or TlTp^Ms (for 3 and 4), as effective C₅Me₄Bu^t or Tp^Ms transfer reagents. In contrast with these results, attempts to obtain a bis(ethylene) derivative of the Tp^tolIr(I) unit (Tp^tol stands for hydrotris(3-p-tolylpyrazol-1-yl)borate) have provided instead the Ir(III) complex [(κ⁴-N,N′,N″,C-Tp^tol)-Ir(C₂H₅)(C₂H₄)] (5), whose formation requires C-H bond activation of a molecule of ethylene and of one of the Tp^tolp-tolyl substituents. In refluxing toluene 5 experiences metalation of a second p-tolyl substituent to give [(κ⁵-N,N′,N″,C,C′-Tp^tol)-Ir(C₂H₄)] (6), which features unusual κ⁵-Tp^tol coordination. The latter compound reacts with carbon monoxide to yield the corresponding carbonyl, 7.