ENT-3-BETA-HYDROXYKAUR-16-ENE AND ENT-17-HYDROXYKAUR-15-ENE IN PACLOBUTRAZOL-TREATED WHEAT SEEDLINGS

Large quantities of ent-kaur-16-ene accumulated in the scutella of whe at and barley seedlings treated with the ent-kaurene oxidase inhibitor , (2S, 3S)-paclobutrazol. In addition, ent-3 beta-hydroxykaur-16-ene a nd ent-17-hydroxykaur-15-ene were identified by full-scan GC mass spec trometric comparison with authentic samples in embryos of paclobutrazo l-treated wheat. In four-day-old paclobutrazol-treated wheat, ent-3 be ta-hydroxykaur-16-ene occurred in similar amounts to ent-kaur-16-ene i n embryonic axes but was about 10-fold less than the quantity of ent-k aur-16-ene in scutella. By comparison, ent-17-hydroxykaur-15-ene was p resent at very low levels and only in scutella of treated wheat seedli ngs. Only trace amounts of ent-3 beta-hydroxykaur-16-ene were detected in scutella of paclobutrazol-treated barley.