Soluble phospholipase A2 activity is induced before oxylipin accumulation in tobacco mosaic virus-infected tobacco leaves and is contributed by patatin-like enzymes

Recent evidence suggests that oxidized lipid-derived molecules play significant roles in inducible plant defence responses against microbial pathogens, either by directly deterring parasite multiplication, or as signals involved in the induction of sets of defence genes. The synthesis of these oxylipins was hypothesized to be initiated by the phospholipase A2-mediated release of unsaturated fatty acids from membrane lipids. Here, we demonstrate that, in tobacco leaves reacting hypersensitively to tobacco mosaic virus, a strong increase in soluble phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity occurs at the onset of necrotic lesion appearance. This rapid PLA2 activation occurred before the accumulation of 12-oxophytodienoic and jasmonic acids, two fatty acid-derived defence signals. Three PLA2 isoforms were separated and the most active enzyme was partially purified, its N-terminal sequence displaying similarity with patatin, the major storage protein in potato tubers. Three related tobacco patatin-like cDNAs, called NtPat1, NtPat2 and NtPat3, were cloned, with NtPat2 encoding the PLA2 isolated from infected leaves. RT-PCR experiments showed a rapid transcriptional activation of the three NtPat genes in virus-infected leaves, preceding the increase in PLA2 activity. Recombinant NtPat1 and NtPat3 enzymes were active in an assay using labelled bacterial membranes, and also displayed high bona fide PLA2 activity on phosphatidylcholine substrate. These results point to a possible new role of patatin-like phospholipases in inducible plant defence responses. The induction kinetics together with the enzymatic activity data indicate that the NtPat proteins may provide precursors for oxylipin synthesis during the hypersensitive response to pathogens.

Dutch monitor on stress and physical load: risk factors, consequences, and preventive action

OBJECTIVES

Due to recent changes in legislation on occupational health and safety, a national monitor on stress and physical load was developed in The Netherlands to monitor (a) risks and consequences of stress and physical load at work, (b) preventive actions in companies to reduce these risks, and (c) organisational and environmental variables that facilitate preventive actions.

METHODS

Information was gathered from employers, employees, and employees' representatives. The monitor was used with a nationally representative sample of companies in industry, wholesale trade, and banking and finance, 782 companies in total.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The information from the employees, aggregated at the company level, was not found to be correlated with that from the employer from the same companies. Although many employers do recognise risk factors for both physical load and stress as a problem they often seem to underestimate the problem when compared with employees or their representatives. This is particularly the case for psychosocial risk factors. Also, the perception of outcome measures, especially employers who consider emotional exhaustion to be work related, were fewer than the employees' representatives of the same organisation. Preventive measures on physical load are much more popular than measures against stress. It is the responsibility of the employer to take more preventive action of all kinds. They need to recognise risk factors as problems and health outcomes to be related to work. Employees of larger companies should participate with employers to consider effective measures, and more use should be made of support at branch level. For specific preventive measures, specific predictors emerged. Except for measures to prevent work stress, information from employees did not sufficiently contribute to the initiation of preventive measures in the workplace.