Regulation by Galacturonic Acid of Pectinolytic Enzyme Production by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Production of polygalacturonases and pectinases from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum was induced in vitro by galacturonic acid. The inductive effect of galacturonic acid was abolished by the presence of glucose, leading to a basal enzyme production. Zymograms of extracellular enzymes showed that galacturonic acid induced the synthesis of six polygalacturonase and one pectin-methylesterase isoforms. Immunoblotting revealed that an exo-polygalacturonase and an exo-polymethylgalacturonase were secreted in all conditions. They are not glucose repressed and not regulated by galacturonic acid. These constitutive enzymes provide the pathogen with the inherent ability to release galacturonic acid from plant cell walls and to trigger inducible enzyme synthesis.