S. Ballal, R. Ellias, R. Fluck
Aug 9, 1992
Citations
0
Influential Citations
11
Citations
Journal
Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
Abstract
We have synthesized indole-3-acetylcholine iodide (IAC) and shown that it stimulates pea stem segment (Pisum sativum L. cv. Alaska) elongation. Fischer esterification of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) was accomplished with 2-dimethylaminoethanol, using boron trifluoride as a catalyst. The product of this reaction, 2-dimethylaminoethyl indole-3-acetate (AIA), was then methylated with methyl iodide to form IAC. The structure proofs of AIA and IAC were based on nuclear magnetic resonance and elemental analyses. The stimulation of pea stem segment elongation by IAC was antagonized by neostigmine, an inhibitor of plant cholinesterase (ChE) activity, suggesting that endogenous ChE catalyzes the hydrolysis of IAC and that the stimulation of growth was actually caused by one of the products of this hydrolysis, IAA, a known stimulant of pea stem elongation