Abstract: The plasma membrane NADPH oxidase and its regulatory role in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. )-tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) interaction was examined by using tobacco cv. "Samsun NN" (incompatible with TMV, containing the N gene for resistance to TMV) and tobacco cv. "3002" (compatible with TMV) as experimental materials. Plasma membrane (PM) vesicles were isolated from leaves of tobacco by a biphasic aqueous system. The membrane preparations were sealed, highly purified and largely in right-side-out orientation as detected by marker enzyme assays and latency studies of the PM marker, vanadate-sensitive ATPase with non-ionic detergent Triton X-100. The oxidase activity was assayed by the rate of SOD-sensitive Cyt c reduction in PM system. The oxidase activity could be increased about 80% when adding 0.01% Triton X-100 in the reactive system. This result showed that the binding-site of NADPH was on the cytosolic side of the plasma membrane and the production of O2- is on the apoplastic side. DPI (diphenylene iedonium), a specific inhibitor of the NADPH oxidase in neutrophils, also inhibited the NADPH oxidase activity in tobacco. Furthermore, the oxidase activity increased in incompatible interaction, but not in compatible interaction. The role of NADPH oxidase in the production of reactive oxygen species and stimulation of hypersensitive reaction were discussed.

Key words: NADPH oxidase, Superoxide radical anion, Tobacco, Tobacco mosaic virus, Plasma membrane