Induction of Cytochrome P-450 Protein in Wounded Avocado Roots(Persea americana, Mill)

The ripe fruit of Hass avocado contains one of the highest elvels of cytochrome P-450 protein found in the plant kingdom. To determine whether wounded roots of avocado contain P-450 protein, the roots of avocado were wounded by slicing, and then allowed to incubate in sealed plastic bags, in 0.4M mannitol, and in the solution to make protoplast preparation containing cellulysin and macerase during the specified times. The microsomal proteins were extracted from the samples, separated by SDS-PAGE, and then subjected to Western blot analysis using polyclonal antibodies which are generated against the CYP71A1 protein. wounded roots in sealed bags produced CYP71A1 within 6 hours after cutting, and those in 0.4M mannitol did not produce CYP71A1 even after 72 hours, but those in the protoplast preparation by cellulysin and macerase induced and produced CYP71A was induced in only 24 hours. These results indicate that CYP 71A1 plays a role for wound healing for root tissue o avocado, and would-inducible P-450 protein was not detected in the mannitol solution by preventing a synthesis of ethylene in a liquid state, but the softening of tissues by cellulysin and macerase to make protoplast preparation was involved in an activation of CYP 71A1 even in the liquid state.