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Anion effluxes are amongst the earliest reactions of plant cells to elicitors of defence responses. However, their properties and their role in disease resistance remain almost unknown. We previously demonstrated that cryptogein, an elicitor of tobacco defence responses, induces a nitrate (NO₃−) efflux. This efflux is an early prerequisite to the cryptogein-triggered hypersensitive response (HR). Here, we analyzed the electrophysiological properties of the elicitor-mediated NO₃−− efflux and clarified the mechanisms through which it contributes to cell death. Application of the discontinuous single electrode voltage-clamp technique in tobacco cells elicited with cryptogein enabled us to record the activation of slow-type deactivating anion channel currents. Cryptogein-induced plasma membrane depolarization and Ca²⁺ influx, an essential component of elicitor signalling for HR cell death, were prevented by inhibiting the …