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The labeling patterns in malic acid from dark 13CO2 fixation in seven species of succulent plants with Crassulacean acid metabolism were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. Only singly labeled malic-acid molecules were detected and on the average, after 12–14 h dark 13CO2 fixation the ratio of [4-13C] to [1-13C] label was 2:1. However the 4-C carboxyl contained from 72 to 50% of the label depending on species and temperature. The 13C enrichment of malate and fumarate was similar. These data confirm those of W. Cockburn and A. McAuley (1975, Plant Physiol. 55, 87–89) and indicate fumarase randomization is responsible for movement of label to 1-C malic acid following carboxylation of phosphoenolpyruvate. The extent of randomization may depend on time and on the balance of malic-acid fluxes between mitochondria and vacuoles. The ratio of labeling in 4-C to 1-C of malic acid which accumulated following 13CO2 fixation in the dark did not change during deacidification in the light and no doubly-labeled molecules of malic acid were detected. These results indicate that further fumarase randomization does not occur in the light, and futile cycling of decarboxylation products of [13C] malic acid (13CO2 or [1-13C]pyruvate) through phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase does not occur, presumably because malic acid inhibits this enzyme in the light in vivo. Short-term exposure to 13CO2 in the light after deacidification leads to the synthesis of singly and multiply labeled malic acid in these species, as observed by E.W. Ritz et al. (1986, Planta 167, 284–291). In the shortest times, only singly-labeled [4-13C]malate was detected but this may be a consequence of the higher intensity and better detection statistics of this ion cluster during mass spectrometry. We conclude that both phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.32) and ribulose-1,5-biphosphate carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.39) are active at this time.

[3H]zeatin was supplied through the transpiration stream to de-rooted lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.) seedlings. The following previously known metabolites were identified chromatographically: 5'-phosphates of zeatin riboside and dihydrozeatin riboside, adenosine-5'-phosphate, zeatin riboside, zeatin-7-glucopyranoside, zeatin-9-glucopyranoside, adenine, adenosine and dihydrozeatin. Five new metabolites were purified; four of these contain an intact zeatin moiety. Two were identified unequivocally, one as l-ß-[6-(4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-trans-2-enylamino)-purin-9-yl]alanine, a metabolite now termed lupinic acid, and the second as O-ß-d-glucopyranosylzeatin. These two compounds were the major metabolites formed when zeatin solution (100 µM) was supplied to the de-rooted seedlings. The radioactivity in the xylem sap of intact seedlings, supplied with [3H]zeatin via the roots, was largely due to zeatin, dihydrozeatin and zeatin riboside. When [3H]zeatin (5 µM) was supplied via the transpiration stream to de-rooted Lupinus luteus L. seedlings, the principal metabolite in the lamina was adenosine, while in the stem nucleotides of zeatin and adenine were the dominant metabolites. O-Glucosylzeatin and lupinic acid were also detected as metabolites. The level of the latter varied greatly in the tissues of the shoot, and was greatest in the lower region of the stem and in the expanding lamina. Minor metabolites also detected chromatographically were: (a) dihydrolupinic acid, (b) a partially characterized metabolite which appears to be a 9-substituted adenine (also formed in L. angustifolius), (c) glucosides of zeatin riboside and/or dihydrozeatin riboside, and (d) O-glucosyldihydrozeatin. While lupinic acid supplied exogenously to L. luteus leaves underwent little metabolism, chromatographic studies indicated that O-glucosylzeatin was converted to its riboside, the principal metabolite formed, and also to adenosine, zeatin and dihydrozeatin. A thinlayer chromatography procedure for separating zeatin, dihydrozeatin, zeatin riboside and dihydrozeatin riboside is described.

The cytokinins in certain fractions prepared from extracts of immature sweet-corn (Zea mays L.) kernels using polystyrene ion-exchange resins have been further investigated. Cytokinins active in the radish cotyledon bioassay were purified from these fractions and identified as 9-ß-D-glucopyranosylzeatin, 9-ß-D-glucopyranosyldihydrozeatin, O-ß-D-glucopyranosylzeatin. and O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-9-ß-D-ribofuranosylzeatin. In addition, compounds which resemble zeatin and its glycosides in chromatographic behaviour and in ultraviolet absorption characteristics were purified from extracts of the same material by high-performance liquid chromatography. In addition to zeatin and zeatin riboside, the following compounds were identified unambiguously: O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-9-ß-D-ribofuranosyldihydrozeatin, O-ß-D-glucopyranosyldihydrozeatin, and hihydrozeatin riboside. A further compound was tentatively identified as O-ß-D-glucopyranosylzeatin, and at least two unidentified compounds appeared to be new derivatives of zeatin. In identifying the above compounds, chemical-ionization mass spectrometry proved to be an invaluable complementary technique, yielding spectra showing intense protonated-molecular-ion peaks and also prominent structure-related fragmentation that was either not evident or very minor in the electron-impact spectra. An assessment of the relative importance of the various possible mechanisms for cytokinin modification and inactivation in mature sweet-corn kernels was made by supplying [3H]zeatin and [3H]zeatin riboside to such kernels after excision. The principal metabolites of zeatin were adenine nucleotides, adenosine and adenine, while little of the metabolite radioactivity was attributable to known O-glucosides. Adenine nucleotides and adenine were the principal metabolites of zeatin riboside, while lesser metabolites were identified as adenosine, dihydrozeatin, and the O-glucosides of dihydrozeatin and dihydrozeatin riboside. Side-chain cleavage, rather than side-chain modification, appears to be the dominant form of cytokinin metabolism in mature sweet-corn kernels.

6-[3H]Benzylaminopurine was supplied through the transpiration stream to de-rooted Phaseolus vulgaris L. seedlings. The principal metabolite formed was identified as ß-(6-benzylaminopurin-9-yl)alanine by comparison with the synthetic compound.