A milestone in natural product chemistry is the first total synthesis of taxol achieved independently of each other by the groups of R. A. Holton and K. C. Nicolaou. Taxol is at present the most promising anti‐cancer agent, and its synthesis is extremely demanding. It is highly unlikely that this climax will be the end of probably the greatest worldwide effort yet to synthesize a single compound.

Ein Meilenstein der Naturstoffchemie ist die Totalsynthese des zur Zeit vielversprechendsten und synthetisch extrem anspruchsvollen Antikrebsmittels Taxol, die unabhängig voneinander den Arbeitsgruppen von R.A. Holton und K.C. Nicolaou gelang. Mit diesem vorläufigen Höhepunkt dürfte der vermutlich weltweit größte Aufwand zur Totalsynthese einer Einzelverbindung jedoch nicht beendet sein.

This article surveys the currently isolated and identified GA conjugates, their synthesis and evaluates modern methods for analysing GA glucose conjugates. The metabolism of applied GAs in higher plant systems leading, in most cases, to GA conjugates is also considered. The enzymology of the formation and hydrolysis of GA glucose conjugates is discussed in connection with their possible physiological function.

An oligopeptide of 13 amino acids (Pep-13) identified within a 42 kDa glycoprotein elicitor from P. megasperma was shown to be necessary and sufficient to stimulate a complex defense response in parsley cells comprising H+/Ca2+ influxes, K+/Cl− effluxes, an oxidative burst, defense-related gene activation, and phytoalexin formation. Binding of radiolabeled Pep-13 to parsley microsomes and protoplasts was specific, reversible, and saturable. Identical structural features of Pep-13 were found to be responsible for specific binding and initiation of all plant responses analyzed. The high affinity binding site recognizing the peptide ligand (KD = 2.4 nM) may therefore represent a novel class of receptors in plants, and the rapidly induced ion fluxes may constitute elements of the signal transduction cascade triggering pathogen defense in plants.

A milestone in natural product chemistry is the first total synthesis of taxol achieved independently of each other by the groups of R. A. Holton and K. C. Nicolaou. Taxol is at present the most promising anti‐cancer agent, and its synthesis is extremely demanding. It is highly unlikely that this climax will be the end of probably the greatest worldwide effort yet to synthesize a single compound.

Ein Meilenstein der Naturstoffchemie ist die Totalsynthese des zur Zeit vielversprechendsten und synthetisch extrem anspruchsvollen Antikrebsmittels Taxol, die unabhängig voneinander den Arbeitsgruppen von R.A. Holton und K.C. Nicolaou gelang. Mit diesem vorläufigen Höhepunkt dürfte der vermutlich weltweit größte Aufwand zur Totalsynthese einer Einzelverbindung jedoch nicht beendet sein.

This article surveys the currently isolated and identified GA conjugates, their synthesis and evaluates modern methods for analysing GA glucose conjugates. The metabolism of applied GAs in higher plant systems leading, in most cases, to GA conjugates is also considered. The enzymology of the formation and hydrolysis of GA glucose conjugates is discussed in connection with their possible physiological function.

An oligopeptide of 13 amino acids (Pep-13) identified within a 42 kDa glycoprotein elicitor from P. megasperma was shown to be necessary and sufficient to stimulate a complex defense response in parsley cells comprising H+/Ca2+ influxes, K+/Cl− effluxes, an oxidative burst, defense-related gene activation, and phytoalexin formation. Binding of radiolabeled Pep-13 to parsley microsomes and protoplasts was specific, reversible, and saturable. Identical structural features of Pep-13 were found to be responsible for specific binding and initiation of all plant responses analyzed. The high affinity binding site recognizing the peptide ligand (KD = 2.4 nM) may therefore represent a novel class of receptors in plants, and the rapidly induced ion fluxes may constitute elements of the signal transduction cascade triggering pathogen defense in plants.

The plant growth substance jasmonic acid and its methyl ester (JA‐Me) induce a set of proteins (jasmonate‐induced proteins, JIPs) when applied to leaf segments of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Salome). Most of these JIPs could be localized within different cell compartments by using a combination of biochemical and histochemical methods. Isolation and purification of various cell organelles of barley mesophyll cells, the separation of their proteins by one‐dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the identification of the major abundant JIPs by Western blot analysis, as well as the immuno‐gold labelling of JIPs in ultrathin sections were performed to localize JIPs intracellularly. JIP‐23 was found to be in vacuoles, peroxisomes, and in the granular parts of the nucleus as well as within the cytoplasm; JIP‐37 was detected in vacuoles and in the nucleoplasm; JIP‐66 is a cytosolic protein. Some less abundant JIPs were also localized within different cell compartments: JIP‐100 was found within the stromal fraction of chloroplasts; JIP‐70 is present in the peroxisome and the nucleus; JIP‐50 and JIP‐6 accumulate in vacuoles. The location of JIP‐66 and JIP‐6 confirms their possible physiological role deduced from molecular analysis of their cDNA.

Cell suspension cultures ofSolanum tuberosum L. cv. Adretta were established from leaf-derived calluses. In the search for purine glucosylating activity, the metabolism of 6-benzylaminopurine was studied. The main metabolite of BA was isolated and identified as 6-benzylaminopurine 7-β-d-glucopyranoside indicating the occurrence of purine glucosylating activity.