In tomato plant, rubbing applied to a young internode inhibits elongation of the rubbed internode and its neighbouring one. These morphological changes were correlated with an increase in lignification enzyme activities, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and peroxidases (POD), 24 h after rubbing of theforth internode. Furthermore, a decrease in indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) content was detected in the rubbed internode and the upper one. Lignin synthesis in tomato plant measured 14 days after mechanical stress application was significantly stimulated in the rubbed internodes (n°4) as compared with the control. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyses revealed that lignin synthesized in response to mechanical elicitation displayed a distinct structure, substantially enriched in syringyl (S) units, as compared to constitutive lignin. Taken together, our results suggest that the decrease in rubbed internode length is as a result of IAA oxidation, increases in enzyme activities (PAL and POD) and cell wall rigidification induced by lignification process.Key words: Mechanical stimulation, Solanum lycopersicum, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), lignin
