Cryptogein-induced initial events in tobacco BY-2 cells: pharmacological characterization of molecular relationship among cytosolic Ca(2+) transients, anion efflux and production of reactive oxygen species.

Ion fluxes and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are early events that follow elicitor treatment or microbial infection. However, molecular mechanisms for these responses as well as their relationship have been controversial and still largely unknown. We here simultaneously monitored the temporal sequence of initial events at the plasma membrane in suspension-cultured tobacco cells (cell line BY-2) in response to a purified proteinaceous elicitor, cryptogein, which induced hypersensitive cell death.