Claus Wasternack talks with
ScienceWatch.com and answers a few questions about
this month's Fast Breaking Paper in the field of Plant
& Animal Science. The author has also sent along
images of their work.
Article Title: Jasmonates: An update on
biosynthesis, signal transduction and action in plant
stress response, growth and development
Authors: Wasternack,
C
Journal: ANN BOT
Biosynthesis, intracellular
location and action of jasmonate
biosynthesis illustrated on a
transmission electron micrograph of a
barley mesophyll cell showing the
associated cellular compartments, the
chloroplast, the peroxisome and the
nucleus (a-LeA: a-linolenic acid; LOX:
lipoxygenase; 13-HPOTE:
13-hydroperoxy-octadecatrienoic acid;
AOS: allene oxide synthase; AOC: allene
oxide cyclase; OPDA: 12-oxophytodienoic
acid; OPR3: OPDA reductase3; ACX1A:
acyl CoA oxidase 1A; JA: jasmonic acid)
(photo: B. Hause) (C. Wasternack,
Ann. of Bot.100: 691-697,
2007).
Figure 2:
Figure 2:
Within jasmonate biosynthesis,
the correct enantiomeric structure of
the cyclopentanone ring of jasmonate is
established by the allene oxide cyclase
(AOC), which is encoded by a single
copy gene in tomato. The first AOC was
cloned from tomato by the Halle group
in 2000. AOC is preferentially
expressed in ovules of tomato flower
buds. (a) tomato flower and tomato
flower bud, (b) cross-section of a
tomato flower bud showing AOC
promoter activity by GUS staining, (c)
cross-section of a tomato flower bud
showing immunocytological detection of
AOC protein (black staining), (d)
structure of 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid,
the precursor of jasmonic acid; (e)
structure of jasmonic acid in the more
stable (-)-form (C. Wasternack,
Ann. of Bot.100: 681-697,
2007).