Studies on the phloroglucinol–HCl reactive material produced by squash fruit elicited with pectinase: Isolation using hydrolytic enzymes and release of p -coumaryl aldehyde by water reflux

Abstract

Pathological tissues from a variety of plants turn red when treated with the histochemical reagent phloroglucinol (PG)–HCl. This induced PG–HCl reacting material has been termed both wound gum and, more recently, induced lignin or lignin-like material. We are exploring alternative approaches to better identify this induced material. In this report, we describe methods for purifying the PG–HCl reactive material from solvent-washed tissue preparations and measuring the amount of p -coumaryl aldehyde released from the purified material by boiling in water. Acorn squash fruit wall tissue was sliced, sprayed with pectinase to elicit the formation of PG–HCl reactive material and incubated up to 72 h at 27°C. Sampled tissue was washed extensively with water and organic solvents. Insoluble residues were treated with cell wall degrading enzymes to remove cell wall materials, and dimethyl sulfoxide was used to dissolve starch. Yields of residual material increased from 7.5% in the time zero samples to 29.7% after 72 h. Refluxing the purified material in water released <6 μ g p -coumaryl aldehyde g −1 from preparations of tissue at time zero and 8100 μ g p -coumaryl aldehyde g −1 from samples incubated for 48 h. These results suggest that the function of the material is to sequester phytoalexins, but are not consistent with the material being lignin. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.