Formation of a seed germination promoter from carbohydrates and amino acids
Date
2005-07
Authors
Light, Marnie E.
Burger, B. V.
Van Staden, Johannes
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Abstract
The ability of plant-derived smoke to act as a germination cue in many species has led to widespread interest in this aspect of seed biology. Recently, 3-methyl-2H-furo[2,3-c]pyran-2-one was identified as the main germination cue from smoke. Here, we report on the formation of this compound from reactions of sugars with amino acids. Heating proteins or amino acids with sugars at 180°C for 30 min produces water soluble extracts that promote germination. High-performance liquid chromatography indicated that the active compound(s) derived from these reactions coeluted with the active fraction from a smoke solution. Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy showed that the active constituent is identical to the germination cue from plant-derived smoke. The results presented in this paper provide evidence for the formation of the major germination cue found in smoke from ubiquitously occurring organic compounds. © 2005 American Chemical Society.
Description
The original publication is available at http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/jf050710u
Keywords
High performance liquid chromatography, Mass fragmentography, Seeds -- Growth, Germination, Plants -- Effect of smoke on, Smoke -- Physiological effect
Citation
Light, M. E., Burger, B. V. & Van Staden, J. 2005. Formation of a seed germination promoter from carbohydrates and amino acids. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 53(15):