Studies on 3-Indoleacetic Acid Metabolism. IV. Conjugation with Aspartic Acid and Ammonia as Processes in the Metabolism of Carboxylic Acids.

Abstract

When pea epicotyl sections were incubated in solutions of indole-formic, indoleacetic, indolepropionic, indolebutyric, benzoic, or 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acids, all the corresponding amides except 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetamide, and all the corresponding aspartic conjugates except indoleformylaspartic acid were found in the tissues. The extent to which they underwent conjugation differed markedly; benzoic acid was found almost entirely conjugated with aspartic acid while 2,4-D was present almost entirely as unaltered 2,4-D. Tissues incubated with indolebutyric acid showed, in addition to the indolebutyric acid conjugates, considerable amounts of indoleacetylaspartic acid and some indoleacetic acid, indicating [beta]-oxidation of indolebutyric acid to indoleacetic acid.