Occurrence of 3,4-Diacetoxybutinylbithiophene in Tagetes patula and Its Enzymatic Conversion

Abstract

3,4-Diacetoxybutinylbithiophene was found to occur in considerable amounts in roots and hypocotyls of young Tagetes seedlings. This compound was converted enzymatically to 3,4-di- hydroxybutinylbithiophene by crude extracts from this plant. Experiments performed with enzyme preparations from plants of different stages of development supported the existence of two position-specific, subsequently working dithiophene acetate esterases. It is suggested that 3-hydroxy-4-acetoxybutinylbithiophene is the intermediate product, formed by an highly specific 3,4-diacetoxybutinylbithiophene: 4-acetate esterase.