skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Evidence of the photosynthetic origin of monoterpenes emitted by quercus ilex L. leaves by {sup 13}C labeling

Journal Article · · Plant Physiology (Bethesda)
OSTI ID:379417
; ; ;  [1]
  1. Consiglio Nazionale delle Richerche (CNR)-Istituto di Biochimica ed Ecofisiologia Vegetali, Rome (Italy)

The carbon of the four main monoterpenes emitted by Quercus ilex L. leaves was completely labeled with {sup 13}C after a 20-min feeding with 99% {sup 13}CO{sub 2}. This labeling time course is comparable with the labeling time course of isoprene, the terpenoid emitted by other Quercus species and synthesized in leaf chloroplasts. It is also comparable with that of phosphoglyceric acid. Our experiment therefore provides evidence that monoterpenes emitted by Q. ilex are formed photosynthesis intermediates and may share the same synthetic pathway with isoprene. By analyzing the rate and the distribution of labeling in the different fragments, we looked for evidence of differential carbon labeling in the {alpha}-pinene emitted. However, the labeling pattern was quite uniform in the different fragments, suggesting that the carbon skeleton of the emitted monoterpenes comes from a unique carbon source. 16 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.

OSTI ID:
379417
Journal Information:
Plant Physiology (Bethesda), Vol. 110, Issue 4; Other Information: PBD: Apr 1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English