Wound-induced systemic accumulation of a transcript coding for a Bowman-Birk trypsin inhibitor-related protein in maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings.

The wound-induced accumulation of a transcript coding for a polypeptide of 72 amino acid residues in maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings was investigated. Sequence comparison showed strong homology with Bowman-Birk trypsin inhibitors of cereal and legume species. The local accumulation pattern of this transcript demonstrated, after wounding various parts of the seedling, a local as well as a systemic response which implies the transmission of a wound signal specifically from the lower to the upper parts of the plant.