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. 1984 Apr;74(4):989–992. doi: 10.1104/pp.74.4.989

Characteristics of Galacturonic Acid Oligomers as Elicitors of Casbene Synthetase Activity in Castor Bean Seedlings 1

Donald F Jin 1, Charles A West 1
PMCID: PMC1066806  PMID: 16663547

Abstract

Partial digestion of polygalacturonic acid with polygalacturonase isolated from Rhizopus stolonifer produces a mixture of α-1,4-d-galacturonide oligomers which act to elicit casbene synthetase activity in castor bean (Ricinus communis L). These oligomers were separated by anion exchange chromatography on DEAE Sephadex A-25 into discrete sizes and their degrees of polymerization were analyzed by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. A minimum degree of polymerization of nine units appears to be required for elicitor activity; trideca-α-1,4-d-galacturonide was the most active of the oligomers tested. Methyl-esterification of the carboxylate groups greatly diminishes the elicitor activity of the oligomers, a finding which suggests a requirement for the polyanionic character of the oligomers for full activity. The fact that a number of other polyanionic polymers tested as casbene synthetase elicitors did not show significant activity indicates that structural features other than the polyanionic character are also necessary for activity.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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