title: A compound from smoke that promotes seed germination.
abstract: Exposure of seeds to aerosol smoke or crude smoke extracts stimulates the germination of a number of fire-dependent and fire-independent plant species. We now report the identity of a germination-promoting compound present in plant- and cellulose-derived smoke. The structure of this compound, deduced from spectroscopic analysis and confirmed by synthesis, was shown to be that of the butenolide 3-methyl-2H-furo[2,3-c]pyran-2-one (1). Here we show that 1 promotes germination of a number of plant species at a level similar to that observed with plant-derived smoke water.
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical and Chemical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia. gflematt@chem.uwa.edu.au
authors.forename: Gavin R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Flematti
authors.forename: Emilio L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Ghisalberti
authors.forename: Kingsley W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Dixon
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Trengove
mesh_terms: D019659:Asteraceae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D001681:Biological Assay; D002482:Cellulose; D005591:Chemical Fractionation; D005663:Furans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D018525:Germination / Q000187:drug effects*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011714:Pyrans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012639:Seeds / Q000254:growth & development*; D012906:Smoke
chemical_list: C488803:3-methyl-2H-furo(2,3-c)pyran-2-one; D005663:Furans; D011714:Pyrans; D012906:Smoke; D002482:Cellulose