VIEW ARTICLE

Physiology and Biochemistry

Phytotoxicity of Phaseollin to, and Alteration of Phaseollin by, Cell Suspension Cultures of Phaseolus vulgaris. Judith A. Glazener, Former Graduate Research Assistant, Plant Pathology Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, Present address of the senior author: Phytopathologisch Laboratorium ‘Willie Commelin Scholten’, Javalaan 20, Baarn, The Netherlands; Hans D. VanEtten, Associate Professor, Plant Pathology Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853. Phytopathology 68:111-117. Accepted for publication 7 June 1977. Copyright © 1978 The American Phytopathological Society, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121. All rights reserved.. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-68-111.

The effect of phaseollin on growth and viability of cell suspension cultures of kidney bean, Phaseolus vulgaris was determined. Phaseollin at 16 and 32 μg/ml inhibited the growth of the cell suspension cultures. Within 30 min after treatment with 32 μg of phaseollin/ml, 99% of the cells were killed. Prior exposure to a low concentration of phaseollin (4 μg/ml) did not significantly alter the sensitivity of the cultures to the higher concentrations (32 μg/ml) of phaseollin. Exogenously added phaseollin (4 μ/ml) had a half-life of approximately 4 hr in cell suspension cultures of P. vulgaris. When ¹⁴C-labeled phaseollin was added to the cultures, ¹⁴C appeared in an ethyl acetate-and H₂O-insoluble product(s) associated with cell debris. No ¹⁴C-labeled phaseollin-like] compounds accumulated in significant quantities. Phaseollin was not produced by mung bean, Phaseolus aureus tissue but exogenous phaseollin disappeared from cell suspension cultures of this species. Therefore, the ability to metabolize phaseollin may not be associated specifically with species that readily produce phaseollin.