Transient overexpression of CaC3H14 induced cell death and defence‐related gene expression in pepper plants. (a) Photographs of pepper leaves which had been infiltrated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain GV3101 carrying the 35S::00 (empty vector) or 35S::CaC3H14 construct. Left panel: infiltrated pepper leaves at 4 days post‐inoculation (dpi); middle panel: after staining with 3,3′‐diaminobenzidine (DAB) to detect hydrogen peroxide; right panel: after staining with trypan blue to assess cell death. (b) Electrolyte leakage of pepper leaves measured by conductivity after agro‐infiltration with A. tumefaciens strain GV3101 cells containing the 35S::00 or 35S::CaC3H14 construct. (c) Relative expression levels of defence‐related genes, assessed by quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) analysis, in leaves transiently overexpressing 35S::CaC3H14 or 35S::00 at 24 h post‐inoculation (hpi). The transcript levels of defence‐related genes in CaC3H14 transient overexpressing leaves were compared with those in control plants, which were assigned as unity. In (b) and (c), data represent the mean ± standard deviation (SD) of two independent experiments, each with three replicates (n = 6). **P < 0.01 (Student–Newman–Keuls test).