Transient accumulation of .ALPHA.-ketol linolenic acid (KODA) in immature flower buds of some ornamental plants

Abstract

9-Hydroxy-10-oxo-12(Z),15(Z)-octadecadienoic acid (KODA) induces flowers in Lemna paucicostata after reacting with catecholamine (Yokoyama et al. 2000; Yamaguchi et al. 2001), and changes in endogenous KODA levels during the flower-inductive phase in short-day-induced cotyledons are closely related to flower induction (Suzuki et al. 2003). Here, we examined the change of KODA level after the flower induction period. KODA showed a transient increase in immature flower buds in all the plants we examined, i.e., Pharbitis nil, Dianthus caryophyllus L., Dendranthema grandiflorum Kitam. and Eustoma russellianum Griseb. No such increase of KODA was seen in foliar buds of P. nil. These phenomena indicate that KODA may be involved in flower formation, as well as flower induction.