Cryptogein affects expression of alpha3, alpha6 and beta1 20S proteasome subunits encoding genes in tobacco.

Twelve a and b 20S proteasome subunits cDNAs showing 70–82% identity with the corresponding genes in Arabidopsis or rice, and features of eukaryotic proteasome subunits were cloned in tobacco. Only b1-tcI 7, a3 and a6, 20S proteasome subunits encoding genes were up-regulated by cryptogein, a proteinaceous elicitor of plant defence reactions. These results led to the hypothesis that the activation of b1-tcI 7, a3 and a6 could induce a specific proteolysis involved in the hypersensitive response and systemic acquired resistance monitored by cryptogein. In eukaryotes, the 26S proteasome is the central multicatalytic proteinase complex comprising two subcomplexes: the 20S core particle that per…