Bioorganic studies on plant movement, from natural products to its receptor

Abstract

The chemical aspects of the circadian leaf movement known as "nyctinasty" are discussed in this paper. Each of the nyctinastic plants of five different genera so far examined contained a pair of factors, one of which induced leaf closure and another induced leaf opening. The relative contents of the closing and opening factors changed correlating with the nyctinastic leaf movement. The use of fluorescence-labeled and photoaffinity-labeled factors revealed that the factors bind to specific cells, the motor cells, present in the pulvini, and that the membrane fraction of the motor cells contained two proteins of 210 and 180 kDa, which can bind to the factors.

A Route for the Total Synthesis of Enantiomerically Enriched Jasmonates 12‐COOH‐JA and 12‐COOH‐JA‐Ile

“…[14] A Bestmann-Ohira [15] reaction with dimethyl 1-diazo-2-oxopropylphosphonate and aldehyde 7a allowed the introduction of a triple bond and subsequent methanolysis of the tertiary amide function to provide non-conjugated alkyne 8a (Scheme 4). [14] A Bestmann-Ohira [15] reaction with dimethyl 1-diazo-2-oxopropylphosphonate and aldehyde 7a allowed the introduction of a triple bond and subsequent methanolysis of the tertiary amide function to provide non-conjugated alkyne 8a (Scheme 4).…”

Plants and Animals: Convergent Evolution in Action?

“…The chemical basis for these leaf movements has recently been discovered (Shoji et al 2006 ;Ueda and Nakamura 2007) , allowing us to chemically manipulate these plant movements. Interestingly, those leaves which are chemically prevented from performing sleep movements eventually die (Shoji et al 2006) .…”

“…The chemical basis for these leaf movements has recently been discovered (Shoji et al 2006 ;Ueda and Nakamura 2007) , allowing us to chemically manipulate these plant movements. Interestingly, those leaves which are chemically prevented from performing sleep movements eventually die (Shoji et al 2006) . In its extreme form, the sleep-like state can progress into long-term dormancy, which allows some perennial plants to live for several thousands of years (Ueda and Nakamura 2007 ;Rohde and Bhalerao 2007 ;Munne-Bosch 2008 ;Flanary and Kletetschka 2005) .…”

Recent advances on bioorganic chemistry of plant metabolites controlling nyctinasty

“…We have since been working to clarify the mechanisms by which a small molecule of less than a nanometer can act within an organism to bring about a biological phenomenon that is visible to the naked eye at the macro level 7. When working with the highly complex molecular assemblies that make up entire organisms, we found that it is difficult to apply effective methods to models of organisms or clean‐cut samples, such as protein solutions or individual cells.…”