Rapid Accumulation of Anionic Peroxidases and Phenolic Polymers in Soybean Cotyledon Tissues following Treatment with Phytophthora megasperma f. sp. Glycinea Wall Glucan.

Phytophthora megasperma Drechs. f. sp. glycinea Kuan & Erwin (PMG) cell wall glucan has been extensively characterized as an elicitor of the pterocarpan phytoalexins, the glyceollins in soybean (Glycine max L.). Just recently, this glucan was shown to be a potent elicitor of conjugates of the isoflavones, daidzein and genistein as well. Here we report that PMG wall glucan also induces a rapid and massive accumulation of phenolic polymers in soybean cotyledon cells proximal to the point of elicitor application. Deposition of phenolic polymers is over then times that in wounded controls within just 4 hours of elicitor treatment and reaches a maximum by 24 hours. In the same tissues, isoflavone conjugates begin to accumulate at 8 hours and glyceollin at 12 hours. By 24 hours, the total deposition of wall bound phenolics in elicitor-treated tissues is several times greater than the peak glyceollin and isoflavone responses combined. Histochemical stains and quantitation of phenolic residues released after saponification and nitrobenzene or copper oxide oxidation suggest that the covalently linked phenolics include both lignin- and suberin-like polymers as well as simple esterified coumaric and ferulic acid monomers. Accumulations of phenolic polymers are accompanied by equally rapid and massive increases in activity of a specific group of anionic peroxidases. Although increases in peroxidase activity are not strictly limited to cells immediately adjacent to the area of elicitor treatment, the deposition of phenolic polymers is significantly less extensive in distal cells.