INCORPORATION OF ACETATE AND CHOLESTEROL INTO 20-HYDROXYECDYSONE BY HAIRY ROOT CLONE OF AJUGA-REPTANS VAR ATROPURPUREA

[2-C-13]Acetate and [26,27-C-13(2)]cholesterol were incubated with a h airy root culture of Ajuga reptans var. atropurpurea. The C-13 NMR ana lysis of the biosynthesized 20-hydroxyecdysone revealed that both subs trates were incorporated into the phytoecdysone in an appreciable yiel d. In contrast, acetate, but not cholesterol, was incorporated into cy asterone and 29-norcyasterone. These results have demonstrated that th is plant tissue culture is an excellent experimental system for the st udy of ecdysteroid biosynthesis.