Abstract
It is now generally accepted that a phosphoinositide cycle is involved in the transduction of a variety of signals in plant cells. In animal cells, the hydrolysis of phosphatidyl-4,5-bisphosphate catalysed by phosphatidylinositol - specific phospholipase C yields to D-myo-inositol - 1,4,5-trisphosphate and diacylglycerol, which are well known second messengers. The binding of InsP$_3$to a receptor located on the endoplasmic reticulum triggers a calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum. We have detected and partially characterised key components of phosphoinositide signaling. First, tobacco microsomal fraction and plasma membrane PI-PLC. Consecutively, using a radioligand binding assay we have identified a $Ca^{2+}$ -dependent high affinity InsP$_3$binding site in microsomal membrane fraction vesicle preparation and then we have measured inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate induced calcium release from tobacco microsomal fraction. These findings suggest that phosphoinositide signaling system is present and operates in the tobacco suspension culture.e.