AMINO-ACID CONJUGATES OF JASMONIC ACID INDUCE JASMONATE-RESPONSIVE GENE-EXPRESSION IN BARLEY (HORDEUM-VULGARE L.) LEAVES

Leaves of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Salome) treated with jasmonic acid (JA), its methyl ester (JM), or its amino acid conjugates exhibi t up-regulation of specific genes and down-regulation of house-keeping genes, This transcriptional regulation exhibits several specificities , (i) The (-)-enantiomers are more active, and conjugates are mainly a ctive if they carry an L-amino acid moiety, (ii) The various JA-respon sive genes respond differentially to enantiomeric and chiralic forms, (iii) Both JA and its amino acid conjugates exhibiting no or negligibl e interconversion induce/repress genes. (C) 1997 Federation of Europea n Biochemical Societies.