In this study we
show that endogenous jasmonic acid and its methyl ester
accumulate rapidly and transiently after treatment of plant cell
suspension cultures of RauvolJ' canescens and Eschscholtia
caisfornica with a yeast elicitor. Thirty-six plant species tested
in cell suspension culture could be elicited with respect to the
accumulation of secondary metabolites by exogenously supplied
methyl jasmonate. Addition of methyl jasmonate initiates
de novo transcription of genes, such as phenylalanine ammonia
lyase, that are known to be involved in the chemical defense
mechanisms of plants. These data demonstrate the integral role
of jasmonic acid and its derivatives in the intracellular signal
cascade that begins with interaction of an elicitor molecule with
the plant cell surface and results, ultimately, in the accumulation
of secondary compounds.