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 PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ceccarelli, N. Articles by Lorenzi, R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ceccarelli, N. Articles by Lorenzi, R. Agricola Articles by Ceccarelli, N. Articles by Lorenzi, R.

Metabolism and Enzymology

In Vivo Gibberellin Biosynthesis in Endosperm of Sechium edule Sw. Seeds

Dipartimento di Biologia delle Piante Agrarie, Università degli Studi, Viale delle Piagge 23, 56124 Pisa, Italy

Biosynthesis of gibberellins (GAs) was studied in vivo in endosperms of Sechium edule Sw. Exogenous ent-[¹⁴C]kaurene was metabolized into four major products: GA₁₂, GA₄, GA₇ and 16, 17-dihydro-16-hydroxy-GA₁₅ alcohol glucoside. Other minor metabolites were also observed including ent-kaurenol and ent-kaurenal. Conversion of ent-[¹⁴C]kaurene to ent-kaurenol glucoside by endosperm cell-free preparations in the presence of UDPG was observed. However, the finding was not confirmed in in vivo studies and is probably artifactual. Overall evidence coming from the analysis of endogenous GAs and in vitro and in vivo biosynthetic studies are discussed in relation to the possible existence in the Sechium seeds of a different route, along with the known pathway, branching from ent-kaurene or ent-7--hydroxykaurenoic acid and this also leading to biologically active GAs.