• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.219-225
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• 1995

Five kinds of 4-demethylsterol were isolated from suspension cultured cells of a liverworth, Marchantia polymorpha. Four 4-demethylsterols among them were analyzed by a capillary gas chromatography-massspectrometry and 500 MHz 1H-NMR, and characterized to be avenasterol, 24-methylene-cholesterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol. And the fifth 4-demethylsterol was characterized to be sitosterol by a capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The concentration of the 4-demethylsterols in the cell decreased in order of avenasterol>stigmasterol>24-methylene-cholesterol>campesterol>sitosterol. When carbon skeleton and the oxidation state was compared with those of brassinosteroids, these 4-demethylsterols may be potent biosynthetic procusors of brassinosteroids in the cells.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.73-84
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• 1970

The metabolism of sterol precurosor in leaves of Salanum andigena grafted between photoinduced and noninduced plant was investigated with the use of (2-$^{14}$ C) mevalonic acid. By the technique of the preparative gas-liquid chromatography, radioactive compounds of squalene, 4,4’-dimethylsterols and 4-demethylsterol were isolated and determined quantitatively. When labeled mevalonic acid n as applied to leaves radioactivity was extensively incorporated into non-saponifiable materials of lipid fraction and aqueous fraction (ethanol-water fraction). Radioactivity of 14C derived from (2-$^{14}$ C) mevalonic acid was transmissible from photoinduced plant to non-induced plant across the graft union, as tuberization hormone was, and incorporated into the sterols of the non-induced plant. Inhibitors of sterol biosynthesis, SK & F 7997 and nicotinic acid, are effective suppressors of tuber growing, if applied to leaves during photoinduction period. The experimental results suggest that certain substance containing isoprene unit, or sterol-like compound may participate in tuber growing.