The orobanche grenata germination factor

Abstract

The major part of this account is concerned with the development of a purification technique for the D. crenata germination factor, present in the root systems of the field bean, Vicia fabae Various thin layer chromatographic systems were investigated for their efficiency as regards separation and for their effect on the biological activity of the material recovered after separation. The most satisfactory of these was a silica gel layer eluted with ethyl acetate, but this was, later, shown to cause serious losses of germination activity. Various solvent extraction and partition systems were investigated as were several forms of column chromatography. The procedure finally adopted for the isolation of the stimulant, in an essentially pure form, involved the successive application of solvent extraction, column chromatography on polyamide, counter-current-distribution, thin layer chromatography and high pressure liquid chromatography. Some instrumental data was obtained on the fractions obtained from the last named system above and a tentative structure for the active germination stimulant is proposed. Later sections describe the results of applying the techniques mentioned above to the extracts of the root systems of Phassolus vulgaris and of Pisum sativum. Though fractions of pure material were obtained and some of these proved biologically active in the germination of D. crenata, too little material was obtained to enable more than tentative ideas concerning the chemical nature of these compounds.