title: Alkylbenzoquinone involved in development of cellular slime molds.
abstract: The structure of the prespore-cell-promoting factor from Dictyostelium discoideum was determined to be 2-hydroxy-5-methyl-6-pentylbenzoquinone. The synthetic compound has prespore-cell-promoting activity similar to the natural one, with half-maximal induction at a concentration as low as 40 pM. It was also found that the factor induces aggregation in an aggregation-deficient mutant of a related species, Polysphodilium violaceum. Both these activities are sensitive to positional isomerism with the 6-methyl-5-pentyl isomer showing no detectable activity.
authors: Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University , Nagoya 468-8503, Japan.
authors: Yoshiaki
authors: Y
authors: Takaya
authors: Rie
authors: R
authors: Hotta
authors: Kenshu
authors: K
authors: Fujiwara
authors: Risa
authors: R
authors: Otani
authors: Yurika
authors: Y
authors: Uchiyama
authors: Mizuki
authors: M
authors: Sakakibara
authors: Eri
authors: E
authors: Fukuda
authors: Masatake
authors: M
authors: Niwa
authors: Kei
authors: K
authors: Inouye
authors: Akiko A
authors: AA
authors: Oohata
mesh_terms: D016227:Benzoquinones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004023:Dictyostelium / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: C000596832:2-hydroxy-5-methyl-6-pentylbenzoquinone; D016227:Benzoquinones