Effect of methyl jasmonate on harpin-induced hypersensitive cell death, generation of hydrogen peroxide and expression of PAL mRNA in tobacco suspension cultured BY-2 cells.

Methyl jasmonate inhibited the harpin-induced defense responses such as cell death, H2O2 generation and gene expression encoding phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in tobacco suspension cultured BY-2 cells. These results suggest that MeJA may act as an endogenous suppressor for plant defense response including hypersensitive reaction.