Race-specific elicitors of Cladosporium fulvum promote translocation of cytosolic components of NADPH oxidase to the plasma membrane of tomato cells.

The effect of race-specific elicitors on NADPH oxidase was examined in vivo by treating tomato cells with elicitor-containing intercellular fluids prepared from infected tomato leaves inoculated with specific Cladosporium fulvum races. Treatment of Cf-4 or Cf-5 cells with intercellular fluids from incompatible but not from compatible races of C. fulvum increased oxidase activity and the amount of p67-phox, p47-phox, and rac2 in the plasma membrane. Comparison of these three components in the cytosol and plasma membrane indicated that elicitors promoted the translocation of cytosolic components of NADPH oxidase to the plasma membrane of tomato cells carrying the appropriate resistance gene. Protein kinase C activators and inhibitors did not affect enzyme activity or the binding of these three components to the plasma membrane. In contrast, staurosporine, calmodulin antagonists, and EGTA inhibited elicitor-induced oxidase activity and the translocation of the cytosolic components. The assembly process involves a Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinase that catalyzes the phosphorylation of p67-phox and p47-phox, facilitating their translocation to the plasma membrane. Our data suggest that although both plants and animals share common elements in eukaryotic signal transduction, the involvement of different protein kinases mediating the activation of phosphorylation of p67-phox and p47-phox may reflect the unique spatial and temporal distribution of signal transduction pathways in plants.