With the aim of examining the response of plant cells to UV-C irradiation, we investigated the behaviour of the phosphatidylinositol 4,5 bisphosphate (PtdIns 4,5-P2) molecule (the precursor of the phosphoinositide signal transduction cascade) by exposing callus cells from Peucedanum verticillare to UV-C (130 J m-2) and by examining the level and the fatty acid composition of PtdIns 4,5-P2 at different times after irradiation. We show that a pathway for the UV-C response includes transient PtdIns 4,5-P2 breakdown. The effect of ultraviolet rays is mimicked by H2O2 suggesting that in this plant it may be brought about by reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI), as already underlined in experimental animal models.