Abstract
The voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) is a major outer mitochondrial membrane protein. It is well documented that VDAC plays an important role in apoptosis, a kind of programmed cell death, in mammalian system. However, little is known about the role of the plant counterpart during the process of plant-specific cell death such as pathogen-induced hypersensitive response (HR). We isolated three VDAC full-length cDNAs (NtVDAC1-3) from Nicotiana tabacum L. (cv. Xanthi nc). NtVDACs localized mitochondria. Then, we addressed the main issue concerning pathogenesis relation. The N. benthamiana orthologues (NbVDACs) of NtVDACs were up-regulated by challenge with the non-host pathogen Pseudomonas cichorii, but not after challenge with the virulent pathogen P. syringae pv. tabaci. Both the pharmaceutical inhibition of VDAC and silencing of NbVDACs genes compromised the non-host resistance against P. cichorii. Involvement of NbVDACs in the mouse Bax-induced cell death was also suggested with a similar approach.
