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Title: NEW C-4"-HYDROXY-DERIVATIVES OF MAYSIN AND 3'-METHOSYMAYSIN ISOLATED FROM CORN SILKS (ZEA MAYS)

Author
item Snook, Maurice
item Widstrom, Neil
item Wiseman, Billy
item Byrne, Patrick
item HARWOOD, JOHN - UNIVERESITY OF CHICAGO
item COSTELLO, CATHERINE - MASS. INST. TECH, CAMBRID

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/11/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The compound maysin is a major resistance factor of corn (Zea mays L.) silks to the corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea, Boddie). From the analysis of over one thousand corn inbreds and populations, five lines were identified that contained significant levels of three maysin derivatives. The corn lines in which these new compounds were found were Tx501, A103, GE275, ESDJ1, and CML131. These compounds were synthesized and were tested for growth inhibition of corn earworm larvae in a laboratory bioassay. The compounds were found to be almost as active as maysin, suggesting that incorporation of these compounds in silks by breeders could enhance corn's resistance to corn earworms.

Technical Abstract: Reduced derivatives of maysin [2"-O-alpha-L-rhamnosyl-6-C-(6-deoxy- xylo-hexos-4-ulosyl)- luteolin] and 3'-methoxymaysin have been isolated and identified from several corn (Zeas mays L.) inbreds. These include: 2"-O-alpha-L-rhamnosyl-6-C-quinovosyl-luteolin (equitorial-4"-OH-maysin, eq-4"-OH-maysin), 2"-O-alpha-L-rhamnosyl-6-C-fucosyl-luteolin (axial-4"- OH-maysin, ax-4"-OH-maysin), and 2"-O-alpha-L-rhamnosyl-6-C-fucosyl-3'- methoxyluteolin (ax-4"-OH-3'-methoxymaysin). In addition to maysin and 3'-methoxymaysin, inbred Tx501 contains minor amounts of ax-4"-OH-maysin and ax-4"-OH-3'-methoxymaysin. Corn lines A103, GE275, ESDJ1, and CML131 contained relatively large levels of both ax-4"-OH-maysin and eq- 4"-OH-maysin. Synthetic 4"-OH-maysin (obtained by NaBH4 reduction of maysin) was tested for growth inhibition of corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea, Boddie) larvae in a laboratory bioassay and found to be almost as active as maysin, suggesting that incorporation by breeders of these compounds into silks could enhance corn's resistance to corn earworm larvae.