METABOLISM OF AROMATIC COMPOUNDS IN HEALTHY AND RUST-INFECTED PRIMARY LEAVES OF WHEAT: II. STUDIES WITH L-PHENYLALANINE-U-14C, L-TYROSINE-U-14C, AND FERULATE-U-14C

Abstract

Wheat leaves infected with stem rust, especially those of susceptible plants, contained more phenylalanine and tyrosine than healthy leaves. The utilization of phenylalanine was increased in both the susceptible and resistant reaction, but the utilization of tyrosine was increased only in the susceptible reaction. No evidence of interconversion of these amino acids was obtained. In n-butanol extracts, which contained glycosides, many constituents were labelled after feeding of L-phenylalanine-U-14C. Most of the n-butanol extractives from resistant-reacting leaves contained more label than those from susceptible-reacting leaves or from healthy leaves. However, one of the n-butanol extractives from susceptible-reacting leaves was 5-10 times as active as that isolated from other tissues. With L-phenylal-anine-U- C and ferulate-U-14C as precursors, more activity was recovered in insoluble than in soluble esters (ferulate and p-coumarate). With L-tyrosine-U-14C as precursor, the reverse was observed. After infection, the proportion of label in insoluble esters increased more in resistant leaves than it did in susceptible leaves, regardless of the precursor used. A major portion of the activity from these precursors was recovered in the insoluble residue that contained protein and other polymers. In the experiment with L-phenylalanine-U-14C, this residue was fractionated into protein and nonhydrolyzable material. Susceptible-reacting leaves contained equal amounts of activity in these fractions, while resistant-reacting leaves incorporated 2.5 times as much activity into the non-hydrolyzable material as into protein.