Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

5′-AMP is a direct precursor of cytokinin in Dictyostelium discoideum

Nature volume 271, pages 545–547 (1978)Cite this article

Abstract

ISOPENTENYLADENINE (i6Ade) and closely related derivatives occur naturally either as free bases or as constituents of tRNA1,2. Although these cytokinins have been detected in various organisms, it is still not clear whether they are produced by the degradation of tRNA or whether they are synthesised by some pathway not involving tRNA. A spore germination inhibitor, discadenine, isolated from Dictyostelium discoideum was found to be an i6Ade derivative with a 3-amino-3-carboxypropyl group in the 3 position3—the cells contained a large quantity of free i6Ade, presumably a precursor of discadenine4. These results led us to investigate the cell-free biosynthesis of i6Ade in this organism. We report here the existence of a cytokinin biosynthetic pathway not related to tRNA degradation, showing that 5′-AMP is the actual acceptor molecule for the isopentenyl group. Our findings suggest that the biosynthesis of cytokinin in higher plants may proceed in a similar fashion.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hall, R. H. A. Rev. Pl. Physiol. 24, 415–444 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Skoog, F. & Armstrong, D. J. A. Rev. Pl. Physiol. 21, 359–384 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Abe, H., Uchiyama, M., Tanaka, Y. & Saito, H. Tetrahedron Lett., 3807–3810 (1976).

  4. Tanaka, Y., Abe, H., Uchiyama, M., Taya, Y. & Nishimura, S. Phytochemistry (in the press).

  5. Kandutch, A. A., Paulus, H., Levin, E. & Bloch, K. J.biol.Chem. 239, 2507–2515 (1964).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Symons, R. H. Biochim. biophys. Acta 155, 609–610 (1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Yoshikawa, M., Kato, T. & Takenishi, T. Tetrahedron Lett. 5065–5068 (1967).

  8. Schmitz, R. Y. et al. Phytochemistry 14, 1479–1484 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Konijin, T. M., van de Meene, J. G. C., Bonner, J. T. & Barkley, D. S. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 58, 1152–1154 (1967).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Konijin, T. M., Barkley, D. S., Chang, Y. Y. & Bonner, J. T. Am. Natur. 102, 225–233 (1968).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tsukiji 5-1, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

    YOICHI TAYA, YOSHIMASA TANAKA & SUSUMU NISHIMURA

  2. Institute of Biological Sciences, The University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

    YOSHIMASA TANAKA

Authors
  1. YOICHI TAYA
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. YOSHIMASA TANAKA
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. SUSUMU NISHIMURA
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

TAYA, Y., TANAKA, Y. & NISHIMURA, S. 5′-AMP is a direct precursor of cytokinin in Dictyostelium discoideum. Nature 271, 545–547 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/271545a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/271545a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing