Hydroperoxides of fatty acids induce programmed cell death in tomato protoplasts

Arachidonic acid (AA) is a fatty acid elicitor abundant in the glycerolipids of the late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans and related Oomycete species. Lipoxygenases (LOX), which catalyze the addition of molecular oxygen to the 1 or 5 position of a cis, cis-1,4+Z,Z-pentadiene system in polyunsaturated fatty acids, is induced in host plants such as tomato and potato during infection by P. infestans. Here it is reported that AA, the LOX metabolites of AA, 5- and 15-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenioc acid (5- and 15-HpETE), and the LOX metabolite of linoleic acid, 9-hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acid (9-HpODE), are potent inducers of programmed cell death (PCD) in tomato protoplasts. 5- and 15-HpETE increased DNA fragmentation as detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-X nick end labeling (TUNEL) and increased DNA laddering as visualized by ligation-mediated PCR. Background levels of DNA laddering were decreased in intensity by Zn2+ and increased by Ca2+, effects that are consistent with the reported action of these cations on PCD-associated endonucleases in other systems, H2O2 methyl jasmonate, and linoleic and linolenic acids were not toxic to tomato protoplasts at concentrations up to 350 muM, and lipid peroxides (LD100 = 80 muM) were far more potent inducers of death than free AA within this same concentration range. These results indicate the potential of fatty acid peroxides and LOX-related metabolism to engage an apoptotic type of PCD in higher plant cells. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Limited.