PLANT PHYSIOLOGY , Vol 111, Issue 3 741-745, Copyright © 1996 by American Society of Plant Biologists
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DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH REGULATION |
Identification of Antheridiogens in Lygodium circinnatum and Lygodium flexuosum
T. Yamauchi, N. Oyama, H. Yamane, N. Murofushi, H. Schraudolf, M. Pour, M. Furber and L. N. Mander
Department of Applied Biological Chemistry (T.Y., N.O., N.M.) and Biotechnology Research Center (H.Y.), The University of Tokyo, Yayoi 1-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113 Japan
Antheridiogens in two species of Schizaeaceous ferns, Lygodium circinnatum
and Lygodium flexuosum, were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass
spectrometry. In L. circinnatum, gibberellin A73 (GA73) methyl ester
(GA73-Me), which had originally been identified in L. japonicum, was
identified as a principal antheridiogen, and the methyl esters of five
known GAs (GA9, GA20, GA70, GA88, and 3-epi-GA88) were also identified as
minor antheridiogens. In addition, four compounds corresponding to isomers
of monohydroxy-GA73-Me were detected. One of these was shown to be
12[beta]-hydroxy-GA73-Me, the parent acid of which has been allocated the
GA assignment GA96. The other three compounds, tentatively named X1, X2,
and X3, have not been fully characterized. In L. flexuosum, GA73-Me was
also identified as a major antheridiogen, with X2 being detected as a minor
one. The total antheridium-formation activity in the culture medium of
7-week-old prothallia of L. circinnatum and L. flexuosum was more than 1000
times higher than that of L. japonicum. On the other hand, the response of
gametophytes of the former two Lygodium ferns to GA73-Me was more than 100
times lower than that of L. japonicum.
