AOBPreview originally published online on March 14, 2005
Annals of Botany 2005 95(6):1033-1037; doi:10.1093/aob/mci114
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Exogenous Supply of Pantoyl Lactone to Excised Leaves Increases their Pantothenate Levels

Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
* For correspondence. E-mail brath{at}mail.ifas.ufl.edu
Received: 7 October 2004 Returned for revision: 2 December 2004 Accepted: 26 January 2005 Published electronically: 14 March 2005
Background and Aims All plants synthesize pantothenate but its synthesis and regulation are not well understood. The aim of this work is to study the effect of exogenous supply of precursor compounds on pantothenate levels in leaves.
Methods Precursor compounds were supplied in solution to excised leaves and the pantothenate content was measured using a microbial method.
Key Results Pantothenate levels in excised leaves of Limonium latifolium, tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and grapefruit (Citrus x paradisi) were examined following an exogenous supply of the precursor compounds pantoyl lactone or ß-alanine. Significantly higher levels of extractable pantothenate were found when pantoyl lactone was supplied, but not when ß-alanine was supplied despite a measurable uptake of ß-alanine into the leaf.
Conclusions The results suggested that the pantoate supply may be rate-limiting or regulating pantothenate synthesis in leaves.
Key words: ß-Alanine, ß-alanine betaine, Limonium latifolium, Lycopersicon esculentum, osmoprotection, pantoate, pantothenate