Interaction between the plant ApDef defensin and Saccharomyces cerevisiae results in yeast death through a cell cycle- and caspase-dependent process occurring via uncontrolled oxidative stress.

Background: Plant defensins were discovered at beginning of the 90s'; however, their precise mechanism of action is still unknown. Herein, we studied ApDef-Saccharomyces cerevisiae interaction.

Methods: ApDef-S.

Programmed cell death during development of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) seed coat.

The seed coat develops primarily from maternal tissues and comprises multiple cell layers at maturity, providing a metabolically dynamic interface between the developing embryo and the environment during embryogenesis, dormancy and germination of seeds. Seed coat development involves dramatic cellular changes, and the aim of this research was to investigate the role of programmed cell death (PCD) events during the development of seed coats of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.