Abstract
A comparison has been made between the sterols of male and female inflorescences and of pollen from Zea mays. The female inflorescence was shown to contain cholesterol, 24-methylcholesterol, 24-ethyl-5,22-cholestadien-3β-ol, 24-ethylcholesterol and (28Z)-24-ethylidenecholesterol. Themale inflorescence contained the same five compounds together with 24-methylenecholesterol. Pollen contained 24-methylenecholesterol as its main sterol together with lesser amounts of cholesterol, 24-ethylcholesterol, (28Z)-24-ethylidenecholesterol, 24-methylene-5α-cholest-7-en-3β-ol and 4α-methyl-24-methylene-5α-cholest-7-en-3β-ol.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baisted, D.J.: Sterols of Euphorbia peplus: The fate of 28-isofucosterol in phytosterol biosynthesis. Phytochem. 8, 1697–1703 (1969)
Biswas, P.K., Paul, K.B., Henderson, J.H.M.: Effect of Chrysanthemum plant extracts in flower initiation in short day plants. Physiol. Plant. 19, 875–882 (1966)
Bonner, J., Heftmann, E., Zeevaart, J.A.D.: Suppression of floral induction by inhibitors of sterol biosynthesis. Plant Physiol. 38, 81–88 (1963)
Brooks, C.J.W., Knights, B.A., Sucrow, W., Radüchel, B.: Characterisation of 24-ethylidene sterols. Steroids 20, 487–497 (1972)
Comita, J.J., Klosterman, H.J.: The sterols of normal and malesterile maize tassels during development. Phytochem. 15, 917–920 (1976)
Gawienowski, A.M., Cheney, R.W., Marsh, H.V.: Alteration of sex expression in the cucumber by testosterone and estradiol. Phytochem. 10, 2033–2034 (1971)
Goad, L.J., Goodwin, T.W.: The biosynthesis of plant sterols. “Progress in Phytochemistry” Vol. 3 eds. Reinhold, L. and Liwschitz, Y. p. 113–198. London New York, Interscience 1972
Grunwald, C.: Plant sterols. Ann. Rev. Pl. Physiol. 26, 209–236 (1975)
Hartmann, M.A., Normand, G., Benveniste, P.: Sterol composition of plasma membrane enriched fractions from maize coleoptiles. Plant Sci. Letts. 5, 287–289 (1975)
Heftmann, E.: Biosynthesis of plant steroids. Lloydia 31, 293–317 (1968)
Heftmann, E.: Steroid Biochemistry. London-New York: Academic 1970
Heftmann, E.: Functions of sterols in plants. Lipids 6, 128–133 (1971)
Heftmann, E.: Functions of steroids in plants. Phytochem. 14, 891–901 (1975)
Jennings, P.H., Zscheile, F.P., Brannaman, B.L.: Sterol changes in maize leaves infected with Helminthosporium carbonum. Plant Physiol. 45, 634–635 (1970)
Kasprzyk, Z., Pyrek, J.: Sterols of five plants of the compositae family. Rocz. Chem., 41, 201–208 (1967). Chem. Abstr. 67, 784 (1967)
Kemp, R.J., Goad, L.J., Goodwin, T.W.: Changes in the levels and composition of the esterified and unesterified sterols of maize seedlings during germination. Phytochem. 6, 1609–1615 (1967)
Kemp, R.J., Hamman, A.S.A., Goad, L.J., Goodwin, T.W.: Studies on phytosterol biosynthesis: observations on the esterified sterols of higher plants. Phytochem. 7, 447–450 (1968)
Kemp, R.J., Mercer, E.I.: The sterol esters of maize seedlings, Biochem. J. 110, 111–118 (1968a)
Kemp, R.J., Mercer, E.I.: Studies on the sterols and sterol esters of the intracellular organelles of maize shoots. Biochem. J. 110, 119–125 (1968b)
Knights, B.A.: Identification of plant sterols using combined GLC/Mass spectrometry. J. Gas Chromatog. 5, 273–282 (1967)
Knights, B.A.: Sterols in resting spores of Plasmodiophora brassicae. Phytochem. 9, 701–704 (1970)
Knights, B.A.: Qualitative and quantitative analysis of plant sterols by gas-liquid chromatography in Modern Methods of Steroid Analysis 103–138 Heftmann, E., Ed. London-New York: Academic 1973
Kopcewicz, J.: Influence of steroids on the growth of dwarf pea. Naturwiss. 56, 287–288 (1969)
Kopcewicz, J.: Estrogens in developing bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) plants. Phytochem. 10, 1423–1427 (1971)
Laroche, J., Fouquet, J.P., Olivry, C., Guevin, C., Lecoq, C., Montardy, J.: Effect of an animal hormone (testosterone) on the sex of Equisetum arvense prothallus. C.R. Acad. Sci. Ser. D. 274, 2887–2888 (1972)
Löve, A., Löve, D.: Experiments on the effect of animal sex hormones on dioecious plants. Arkiv. Bot. 32, 1–60 (1945)
Nes, W.R.: Role of sterols in membranes. Lipids 9, 596–612 (1974)
Standifer, L.N., Devys, M., Barbier, M.: Potten sterols — a mass spectrographic study. Phytochem. 7, 1361–1365 (1968)
Vestergaard, P., Claussen, B.: Hydrolysis of 17-ketosteroid conjugates with a procedure based on a simultaneous benzene extraction and acid hydrolysis. Acta endocr. 39 suppl. 64, 35–49 (1962)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Knights, B.A., Smith, A.R. Sterols of male and female compound inflorescences of Zea mays L.. Planta 133, 89–93 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00386011
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00386011