This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Web of Science (8) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Staby, G. L. Articles by De Hertogh, A. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Staby, G. L. Articles by De Hertogh, A. A. Agricola Articles by Staby, G. L. Articles by De Hertogh, A. A.

Articles

Terpene Biosynthesis in Cell-free Extracts and Excised Shoots from Wedgwood Iris ¹

^a Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48823

Excised shoots and cell-free extracts prepared from Wedgwood iris (Iris hollandica Hoog. "Wedgwood") shoots metabolized ¹⁴C-labeled mevalonic acid (MVA). By using cell-free extracts, the ¹⁴C from MVA-1-¹⁴C was recovered as ¹⁴CO₂, while that from MVA-2-¹⁴C was recovered as neutral terpenes, acid-hydrolyzable terpenes, or ¹⁴CO₂. Also, under optimal incubation conditions, 12.8 nanomoles R-MVA-2-¹⁴C was incorporated into neutral terpenes per milligram fresh weight per hour. In contrast, excised shoots incorporated only 0.58 nanomoles R-MVA-2-¹⁴C per mg fresh weight per hour. Labeled products identified from the cell-free system were squalene, farnesol, geranylgeraniol, and compounds that are converted to farnesol and geranylgeraniol after alkaline hydrolysis. Squalene and a 4,4-dimethylsterol were identified as products from excised shoots but not the terpene alcohols or the alkaline-hydrolyzable compounds.

³ Present address: Department of Environmental Horticulture, University of California, Davis, Calif. 95616.

¹ Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station Journal Article No. 6086.