Gas-liquid chromatography of trimethylsilyl derivatives of abscisic Acid and other plant hormones

Influence of manganese deficiency and toxicity on isoprenoid syntheses

Twenty-eight day old wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv Stacy) response to varying Mn concentration (10.1-10,000 micromolar) in nutrient solution was measured. Manganese concentrations in the most recently matured leaves (blade 1) were 0.21 to 19.03 mmol Mn per kilogram dry weight, respectively. Fresh and dry weights increased to a maximum at the 5 micromolar Mn nutritional level (0.37 millimole Mn per kilogram dry weight) and were decreased at Mn above and below this concentration. Blade 1 chloroplast pigment concentrations increased up to the 20 micromolar Mn nutritional level (1.98 millimole Mn per kilogram dry weight) and decreased at higher Mn concentrations. Thylakoid Mn content was above 1 mole Mn/100 mole chloroplast at Mn nutrition levels which resulted in greatly decreased plant growth. Total phytoene biosynthesis was decreased by Mn deficiency and toxicity. In vitro ent- kaurene synthesis was greatly influenced by Mn concentration with a maximal biosynthesis at 1 micromolar Mn and decreases at Mn levels above and below this concentration. In vivo blade 1 gibberellic acid equivalent concentrations were maximal at 20 parts per million Mn nutrition solution levels (1.98 millimole Mn per kilogram dry weight) and decreased at Mn tissue concentrations above and below this value; additionally, gibberellic acid concentrations were reciprocal to extracted C(20) alcohol concentrations. Mn influence on gibberellin and chloroplast pigment biosyntheses exactly matched the measured changes in growth.

A highly sensitive method for quantitative determination of abscisic Acid

An abscisic acid derivative was formed by reaction with pentafluorobenzyl bromide which allowed highly sensitive detection by gas-liquid chromatography with electron capture detection. In comparison to the methyl ester derivative, the pentafluorobenzyl derivative of abscisic acid was four times more sensitive to electron capture detection and was stable at room temperature in the presence of ultraviolet light. Derivatization was rapid and the molecular weight of the new compound was confirmed by gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry evidence for several endogenous auxins in pea seedling organs

Qualitative analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of the auxins present in the root, cotyledons and epicotyl of 3-dold etiolated pea (Pisum sativum L., cv. Alaska) seedlings has shown that all three organs contain phenylacetic acid (PAA), 3-indoleacetic acid (IAA) and 4-chloro-3-indoleacetic acid (4Cl-IAA). In addition, 3-indolepropionic acid (IPA) was present in the root and 3-indolebutyric acid (IBA) was detected in both root and epicotyl. Phenylacetic acid, IAA and IPA were measured quantitatively in the three organs by GC-MS-single ion monitoring, using deuterated internal standards. Levels of IAA were found to range from 13 to 115 pmol g(-1) FW, while amounts of PAA were considerably higher (347-451 pmol g(-1) FW) and the level of IPA was quite low (5 pmol g(-1) FW). On a molar basis the PAA:IAA ratio in the whole seedling was approx. 15:1.

Analysis of 3-indolylacetic acid and abscisic acid by high-performance liquid chromatography and gas-liquid chromatography

A method of analysis of 3-indolylacetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA), allowing the simultaneous extraction of both regulators from plant material, has been developed. The method involves extraction with methanol, isolation of the acid fraction, diazomethane methylation, separation of the hormones through reverse-phase preparative high-performance liquid chromatography, and quantification of both compounds by gas-liquid chromatography. The recovery percentage at each step was monitored with radioactive compounds added at the beginning of the process. The final recovery was 70% for IAA and 96% for ABA. The method was applied to the analysis of the IAA and ABA content of stems of hazel (Corylus avellana L.).

A rapid method for the extraction and analysis of abscisic Acid from plant tissue

A simple, economical, and rapid method for the purification of plant extracts prior to abscisic acid (ABA) analysis is described. The method makes use of silica Sep-pak prepacked cartridges. The ABA extracts are loaded on to the Sep-pak cartridges which are then washed with a series of solvents resulting in the removal of pigments and other unwanted compounds. The ABA is then eluted from the cartridge and the levels of this hormone are estimated by gas chromatography. The whole technique (from maceration of the tissue to measurement of ABA levels) takes only 2 to 3 hours per sample.

Identification and measurement of indoleacetic and abscisic acids in the cambial region of Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr. by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA) were identified by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) in fractions obtained by diffusion and extraction from bark peelings of Sitka spruce. A procedure is described for the quantitative analysis of IAA and ABA levels in the same extract using the GCMS technique of single-ion current monitoring. This procedure was used to measure the diffusible, free, and bound fractions of IAA and ABA in the cambial region of Sitka spruce throughout one year; the range in concentration for these fractions was 0.06-0.30, 0.46-3.85, and 0.04-0.20 μg/g oven-dry weight, respectively, for IAA, and 0-0.08, 0.03-2.21, and 0.13-0.66 μg/g oven-dry weight, respectively, for ABA. Movement in the cambial region was found to be polar for endogenous IAA and nonpolar for endogenous ABA. Recoveries of [(14)C]IAA internal standards showed that 73-99.5% of the IAA was lost during purification, and that there could be up to 5-fold differences in recovery between purifications, indicating that IAA loss shold be measured in quantitative analyses.

Effect of hormones on nucleolar growth and vacuolation in elongating cotton fibers

A rather precise combination of the three phytohormones, gibberellic acid, auxin, and abscisic acid, is necessary for the considerable growth of fiber nucleoli in Gossypium hirsutum L. for about 8 days after anthesis and for nucleolar "vacuolation" in the second half of that period. Nucleolar growth and vacuolation must occur in a precise sequence for the fiber to reach a good final length. Nucleolar vacuolation indicates simultaneous output and neosynthesis of nucleolar material.

Rapid separation and quantification of abscisic Acid from plant tissues using high performance liquid chromatography

Abscisic acid (ABA) was purified from soybean (Glycine max [L.]) seed extract using a preparative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) procedure. The preparative procedure was rapid (70 minutes per sample), required no prior partitioning for purification and was quantitative as demonstrated with an internal standard of [2-(14)C]ABA, of which 98.9% was recovered.Following purification by the preparative HPLC procedure, the ABA in a soybean seed extract was quantified using either GLC with an electron capture detector (GLC-EC) or by analytical HPLC with a UV detector. For soybean seed extracts, two analytical HPLC column packing materials were found adequate: muPorasil and muBondapak-NH(2) (Waters Associates). However, with complex tissue extracts, such as soybean leaf and nodule tissues, only GLC-EC had the necessary selectivity and sensitivity.

Identification of plant hormones from cotton ovules

An extract from 8-day-old cotton ovules (Gossypium hirsutum L.) was partitioned into three fractions and each fraction was derivatized and analyzed separately. Gas-liquid chromatography and computer-controlled gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were used to separate, measure, and identify the naturally occurring plant hormones. A single extract contained abscisic acid, indoleacetic acid, and gibberellins A(1), A(3), A(4), A(7), A(9), and A(13) in the first fraction; ethyl indole-3-acetate and indole-3-aldehyde in the second fraction; and the cytokinins 6-(3-methyl-4-hydroxybutylamino)purine (dihydrozeatin), 6-(4-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-trans-butenylamino) purine (zeatin), 6-(3-methyl-2-butenylamino)purine(2iP), 6-(3-methyl-2-butenylamino)-9-beta-d-ribofuranosylpurine(2iPA), and 6-(4-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-trans-butenylamino)-9-beta-d- ribofuranosylpurine (zeatin riboside) in the third fraction.

Detection and preliminary identification of endogenous antitranspirants in water-stressed Sorghum plants

Sorghum plants that had been subjected to different degrees of water stress were examined for the occurrence of endogenous compounds capable of inducing stomatal closure, i.e. "antitranspirants". Acidic extracts contained increased amounts of abscisic acid (ABA) as the amount of stress increased, but another highly active compound easily distinguished from ABA also accumulated. This compound, also found in neutral extracts, was probably all trans-farnesol, an isoprenoid alcohol which, like ABA, is a sesquiterpenoid. Highly dilute solutions of "commercial" farnesol induced stomatal closure when applied to isolated epidermis of Commelina.

Physiology of the Yellow-Green 6 Gene in Tomato: A Possible Interrelationship between the Phenotypic Expressions of the Yellow-Green 6 Gene Mutation and the Gibberellins

The yellow-green 6 (yg(6)) mutation in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is controlled by a single recessive gene with pleiotropic effects. The syndrome of characters associated with the mutation are enhanced stem elongation, reduced chlorophyll content and absence of detectable anthocyanins. We now have shown that the mutant also has fewer lateral roots than the wild type and higher l-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (E.C. 4.3.1.5) activity than the normal tomato. These traits of the mutant closely resemble those induced in many plants by the application of gibberellic acid which suggests that the phenotypic expressions of the mutation might in some manner be related to the endogenous level or activity of the gibberellins. In support of this premise, data are presented which show that the characters of the mutant can be induced in the wild type tomato by application of gibberellic acid. Conversely, several traits of the wild type can be induced in the mutant by an inhibitor of gibberellin hiosynthesis, Phosfon. In addition, an embryoless barley half-seed bioassay for the gibberellins and gas-liquid chromatography indicated that the mutant contained at least three times as much total gibberellin as the wild type plant.

Absorption and distribution of high specific radioactivity 2-C-abscisic Acid in cotton seedlings

High specific radioactivity (26.3 mc/mmole) racemic 2-(14)C-abscisic acid was synthesized. An aliquot of abscisic acid, 1.2 x 10(-4)m in aqueous methanolic solution, was applied to the surface of either a cotyledon or the first true leaf of 8- to 32-day-old cotton seedlings (Gossypium hirsutum L.). After various intervals (6-192 hours), the seedlings were processed for autoradiography, counting, and identification of the radioactivity. After 6 hours, radioactivity was observed moving basipetally out of the treated leaf toward the roots. Four days later, radioactivity could be detected throughout the whole seedling. After 8 days, 10% of the recovered radioactivity was found in the roots, and 80% remained in the treated leaf blade. Neither leaf type nor age had any effect on the abscisic acid movement or pattern of distribution. Isolated radioactivity from the roots was identified as abscisic acid, based on comparison with an authentic standard by thin layer chromatography, gas-liquid chromatography, or gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Phaseic acid: Occurrence in cotton fruit; Acceleration of abscission

Phaseic acid was tentatively identified in cotton fruit; this is the second report of its natural occurrence. It was found in cotton fruit of all ages, from very young to fully mature fruit. It accelerates abscission in the excised nodes of cotton seedlings, but has only about one-tenth of the abscission-promoting activity of abscisic acid.

[Enhancement of the germination inhibiting effect of abscisic acid on Lactuca fruits by sucrose and glucose]

Some sugars, especially sucrose and glucose, and some inorganic salts have been found to enhance in low concentrations the germination inhibiting effect of abscisic acid (ABA) in lettuce. There is evidence from gas chromatographic analysis and from bioassays of seed extracts that this stimulation is due to increased uptake of ABA from solution in the presence of glucose and sucrose.

Detection and quantitative determination of abscisic acid by immunological assay

Antibodies with specificity towards abscisic acid (ABA) were produced in rabbits. These antibodies were used for assaying ABA by the inhibition of inactivation of modified bacteriophage. For this assay conjugates of ABA with bacteriophage T4 were prepared and characterized. Such chemically modified bacteriophages were completely inactivated by the specific anti-ABA serum and this inactivation was inhibited by free ABA. The identification and quantitative determination of ABA in plant extracts by this method are demonstrated and the method is compared with a common bioassay.

Abscisic Acid: correlations with abscission and with development in the cotton fruit

Abscisic acid was measured in developing cotton fruit (Gossypium hirsutum) by means of gas-liquid chromatography. High levels of abscisic acid occurred in correlation with abortion and abscission of young fruit, with low germination of immature seed, and with senescence and dehiscence of mature fruit. Declining or low levels of abscisic acid occurred in correlation with the period of most rapid fruit growth and with high germination of immature and mature seed. Young fruit of cultivar Acala 4-42 contained about twice as much abscisic acid as young fruit of cultivar Acala SJ-1, and this difference is correlated with a higher rate of young fruit abscission in Acala 4-42. Young fruit abscising late in the fruiting season contained about twice as much abscisic acid as young fruit abscising early in the fruiting season.

The identification and quantitative analysis of abscisic acid in plant extracts by gas-liquid chromatography

New techniques are described which permit the quantitative analysis of microgram quantities of abscisic acid in plant extracts by gas chromatography. Presumptive methyl abscisate peaks on gas chromatograms are positively identified by photosensitised isomerisation to methyl 2-trans-abscisate. Losses of abscisic acid during pre-purification are corrected by using 2-trans-abscisic acid as an internal standard.

The detection and estimation of the growth inhibitor xanthoxin in plants

The plant growth inhibitor xanthoxin which can be prepared in vitro by the oxidation of certain xanthophylls has been identified in the ether extracts of the shoots of a wide variety of higher plants. Gas liquid chromatography of an acetylated derivative has been used for its quantitative estimation.Evidence is provided that xanthoxin is a true endogenous inhibitor and that violaxanthin or a related xanthophyll epoxide is its biogenetic precursor. The importance of xanthoxin and its relationship with abscisic acid and other plant growth inhibitors is discussed.

Abscisic Acid in tobacco plants: tentative identification and its relation to stunting induced by pseudomonas solanaccarum

In tobacco plants inoculated with the wilt-inducing bacterium, Pseudomonas solanacearum, there was a correlation between decreased internode elongation, maximum multiplication of the bacterium, and an increase in the growth inhibitor content of stems 4 to 12 days after inoculation, as determined by a wheat coleoptile assay. Initial wilting of the upper leaves was also correlated with an increase in inhibitor content of these tissues.Application of either the partially purified inhibitor from tobacco or pure (+)-abscisic acid to roots, terminal buds, or petioles of tobacco plants caused a reduction of internode length which lasted from 8 to 10 days following a single treatment. Repeated treatment was necessary to obtain growth retardation over a longer period of time.The tobacco inhibitor was tentatively identified as abscisic acid, based on a comparison with authentic abscisic acid on paper, thin layer, column, and gas-liquid chromatography. On the basis of optical rotatory dispersion, circular dichroism, and ultraviolet spectra, the tobacco inhibitor was indistinguishable from abscisic acid. Increases in the inhibitor content of infected tissues are attributed primarily to abscisic acid although other substances, not separable from abscisic acid by the procedures used, could also play a role. The inhibitor was not found in P. solanacearum culture medium.

Gas-Liquid Chromatographic Isolation of Cytokinins from Natural Sources: 6-(3-Methyl-2-butenylamino) purine from Agrobacterium Tumefaciens

Gas-liquid chromatographic retention times for 20 purines or purine nucleosides, 14 of which are highly active cytokinins, are reported. With one exception, all of the naturally occurring cytokinins are separated.Ethyl acetate extraction of yeast transfer RNA hydrolysates and of culture filtrates of Agrobacterium tumefaciens gave sufficient concentration of the naturally occurring cytokinins for immediate gas-liquid chromatography. This procedure permitted the detection of 6-(3-methyl-2-butenylamino)-9-beta, d-ribofuranosylpurine in yeast transfer RNA extracts. An active cytokinin was isolated from A. tumefaciens culture filtrates and was tentatively identified as 6-(3-methyl-2-butenylamino)purine.

The occurrence of abscisic acid in inhibitors B1 and C from immature fruit of Ceratonia siliqua L. (carob) and in commercial carob syrup

The presence of abscisic acid in the inhibitors B1 and C from immature carob fruit, whole and minus seed, has been established by thin-layer and gas chromatography and by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Abscisic acid has been identified in commercial carob syrup by the same means. Most, if not all, of the growth inhibitory activity in these fractions is accounted for as abscisic acid by quantitative gas chromatography as the methyl ester. Trimethylsilylation of abscisic acid with bis (trimethylsilyl) acetamide in pyridine gives two isomeric tris(trimethylsilyl) derivatives.

Growth Regulator Changes in Cotton Associated with Defoliation Caused by Verticillium albo-atrum

Cotton plants, variety Acala 4-42 family 77 (Gossypium hirsutum L.,), were stem puncture-inoculated with either a defoliating isolate (T9) or a nondefoliating isolate (SS4) of Verticillium albo-atrum (Reinke and Berth.). As symptoms developed, growth regulators were assayed in diseased plants to discern their importance in the disease syndrome.An Avena coleoptile straight growth bioassay demonstrated the presence of several growth-regulatory compounds in cotton tissue extracts. Indoleacetic acid was among the compounds whose effects on coleoptile growth were influenced by disease development. Coleoptile growth due to indoleacetic acid was greater in extracts of diseased stems and leaves than in extracts of comparable healthy tissues. During the defoliation period the T9 and SS4 isolates appeared equally effective in increasing indoleacetic acid and reducing indoleacetic acid decarboxylation. Preceding defoliation, however, in plants showing equivalent symptoms the degradation of auxin was reduced more by infection with T9, the defoliating isolate. The reduced auxin degradation appeared to be releated to concomitant increases in caffeic acid and other indoleacetic acid-oxidase inhibitors in the affected tissues.Abscisic acid in tissue extracts strongly inhibited coleoptile growth. During the defoliation period gas-liquid chromatographic and ultraviolet absorption measurements revealed that abscisic acid levels were approximately doubled in T9-infected leaves but were relatively unaffected in leaves infected with the nondefoliating isolate and in stems infected with either isolate.The onset of epinasty and especially defoliation was also accompanied by increased ethylene production in diseased plants. Ethylene in gas samples taken from jars confining plants infected with SS4 or T9, respectively, was increased 2- and 5-fold over uninoculated controls. Ethylene supplied exogenously to healthy plants in concentrations as low as 0.2 microliter per liter induced both the epinasty and defoliation symptoms characteristic of Verticillium infection. Ethylene treatment did not, however, induce other symptoms of Verticillium infection and did not affect endogenous levels of abscisic acid.Defoliation of T9-but not SS4-infected plants apparently is related to the differential alterations in abscisic acid and ethylene levels induced by each isolate, and perhaps to differential alterations in initial rates of indoleacetic acid decarboxylation. These growth regulator alterations apparently are reflections of altered host metabolism rather than direct contributions of the invading fungus.