Stimulation of Phenylalanine Ammonia-lyase Activity and Lignification in Rice Callus Treated with Chitin, Chitosan, and Their Derivatives

By treatment of rice callus with chitin, chitosan, or their derivatives, phenyl alanine ammonia-lyase activity was stimulated up to 2.0 fold that of the control within 24 h, chitinase activity up to 3.5 fold within 48 h, and lignification up to 1.7 fold within 72 h. The elicitor activity was little affected by the chemical structure of the N-fatty acyl group (C2–C5) in chitosan.