title: Identification of a novel factor, vanillyl benzyl ether, which inhibits somatic embryogenesis of Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis Gordon).
abstract: In contrast to angiosperms, some gymnosperms form well-developed suspensors in somatic embryogenesis. This characteristic makes it easy to study suspensor biology. In cultures with high cell densities, somatic embryogenesis of Japanese larch, especially the suspensor development, is strongly inhibited due to factor(s) that are released by the cells into the culture medium. In this study, we purified and identified one of the inhibitory factors present in high-cell-density conditioned medium (HCM) of larch cells. The factor with the strongest inhibitory activity was purified by dialysis, extraction by ethyl acetate, octadecylsilyl (ODS) column chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The inhibitory factor was identified as vanillyl benzyl ether (VBE) by physicochemical analysis. This compound was first isolated from natural resources. Authentic VBE inhibited somatic embryo formation in Japanese larch, and the inhibitory effect in the suspensor was stronger than in the embryo proper. Furthermore, quantification of VBE by HPLC demonstrated that VBE accumulates at high concentrations in HCM. These results suggest that VBE is a novel negative regulator of somatic embryogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Fukuoka Agricultural Research Center, Yoshiki 587, Chikushino, Fukuoka, 818-8549 Japan. umehara@farc.pref.fukuoka.jp
authors.forename: Mikihisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Umehara
authors.forename: Shinjiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ogita
authors.forename: Hamako
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sasamoto
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koshino
authors.forename: Tadao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asami
authors.forename: Shozo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujioka
authors.forename: Shigeo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kamada
mesh_terms: D001547:Benzaldehydes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D001593:Benzyl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000737:chemistry; D046508:Culture Techniques; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D028221:Larix / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D012639:Seeds / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001547:Benzaldehydes; D001593:Benzyl Compounds; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D006131:Growth Inhibitors; C108289:benzylvanillin