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Identification and measurement of indoleacetic and abscisic acids in the cambial region of Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr. by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

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Abstract

Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA) were identified by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) in fractions obtained by diffusion and extraction from bark peelings of Sitka spruce. A procedure is described for the quantitative analysis of IAA and ABA levels in the same extract using the GCMS technique of single-ion current monitoring. This procedure was used to measure the diffusible, free, and bound fractions of IAA and ABA in the cambial region of Sitka spruce throughout one year; the range in concentration for these fractions was 0.06–0.30, 0.46–3.85, and 0.04–0.20 μg/g oven-dry weight, respectively, for IAA, and 0–0.08, 0.03–2.21, and 0.13–0.66 μg/g oven-dry weight, respectively, for ABA. Movement in the cambial region was found to be polar for endogenous IAA and nonpolar for endogenous ABA. Recoveries of [14C]IAA internal standards showed that 73–99.5% of the IAA was lost during purification, and that there could be up to 5-fold differences in recovery between purifications, indicating that IAA loss shold be measured in quantitative analyses.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

aoscisic acid

GCMS:

combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

IAA:

indole-3-acetic acid

PVP:

polyvinylpyrrolidone

SICM:

single ion current monitoring

TMS:

trimethylsilyl

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Author notes

  1. G. Browning

    Present address: Department of Applied Genetics, John Innes Institute, Colney Lane, NR4 7UH, Norwich, U.K.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fisheries, Maritimes Forest Research Centre, P.O. Box 4000, E3B 5 P 7, Fredericton, N.B., Canada

    C. H. A. Little

  2. Environment, Canadian Forestry Service, Maritimes Forest Research Centre, P.O. Box 4000, E3B 5 P 7, Fredericton, N.B., Canada

    C. H. A. Little

  3. Department of Botany and Microbiology, University College of Wales, SY23 3DA, Aberystwyth, Dyfed, U.K.

    J. K. Heald & G. Browning

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  3. G. Browning
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Little, C.H.A., Heald, J.K. & Browning, G. Identification and measurement of indoleacetic and abscisic acids in the cambial region of Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr. by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Planta 139, 133–138 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00387138

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00387138

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