Opportunities for Phytochemistry in Plant Biotechnology

207 Pages·1988·5.548 MB·English

by  Robert A. Morrison, R. J. Whitaker (auth.), Eric E. Conn (eds.)

recent advances in phytochemistry
volume 22
Opportunities for
Phytochemistry in
Plant Biotechnology
RECENT ADVANCES IN PHYTOCHEMISTRY
Proceedings of the Phytochemical Society of North America
General Editor: Eric E. Conn, University of California, Davis, California
Recent Volumes in the Series
Volume 15 The Phytochemistry of Cell Recognition
and Cell Surface Interactions
Proceedings of the First Joint Meeting of the Phytochemical Society of
North America and the American Society of Plant Physiologists,
Pullman, Washington, August, 1980
Volume 16 Cellular and Subcellular Localization in Plant Metabolism
Proceedings of the Twenty-first Annual Meeting of the Phytochemical Society
of North America, Ithaca, New York, August, 1981
Volume 17 Mobilization of Reserves in Germination
Proceedings of the Twenty-second Annual Meeting of the Phytochemical
Society of North America, Ottawa, OntariO, Canada, August, 1982
Volume 18 Phytochemical Adaptations to Stress
Proceedings of the Twenty-third Annual Meeting of the
Phytochemical Society of North America, Tucson, Arizona, July, 1983
Volume 19 Chemically Mediated Interactions between Plants and
Other Organisms
Proceedings of the Twenty-fourth Annual Meeting of the Phytochemical SOCiety
of North America, Boston, Massachusetts, July, 1984
Volume 20 The Shikimic Acid Pathway
Proceedings of the Twenty-fifth Annual Meeting of
the Phytochemical Society of North America, Pacific Grove,
California, June, 1985
Volume 21 The Phytochemical Effects of Environmental Compounds
Proceedings of the Twenty-sixth Annual Meeting of the Phytochemical
Society of North America, College Park, Maryland, July, 1986
Volume 22 Opportunities for Phytochemistry in Plant Biotechnology
ProceedIngs of the Twenty-seventh Annual Meeting of the Phytochemical
Society of North America, Tampa, Florida, June, 1987
A Continuation Order Plan is available for this series. A continuation order will bring delivery of
each new volume immediately upon publication. Volumes are billed only upon actual shipment.
For further information please contact the publisher.
recent advances in phytochemistry
volume 22
Opportunities for
Phytochemistry in
Plant Biotechnology
Edited by
Eric E. Conn
University of California, Davis
Davis, California
PLENUM PRESS • NEW YORK AND LONDON
ISBN 978-1-4757-0276-7 ISBN 978-1-4757-0274-3 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4757-0274-3
Proceedings of the Twenty-seventh Annual Meeting of the Phytochemical Society
of North America on Opportunities for Phytochemistry in Plant Biotechnology,
held June 21-26, 1987, in Tampa, Florida
© 1988 Plenum Press, New York
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1 st edition 1988
A Division of Plenum Publishing Corporation
233 Spring Street, New York, N.Y. 10013
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming,
recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher
In Memory of
TSUNE KOSUGE
November 28, 1925 - March 13, 1988
PREFACE
This volume is dedicated to Tsune Kosuge in
recognition of his distinguished career as 8 plant
biochemist and his many contributions to the field of
phytochemistry. Those contributions began over thirty
years ago during his doctoral research at Berkeley when
Professor Kosuge was examining the metabolism of coumarin
precursdrs in leaves of Melilotus alba. The several papers
resulting from that doctoral thesis were among the first
enzymatic studies ever to be performed in the field of
natural (secondary) plant products. It should also be
noted that during his doctoral research Professor Kosuge
obtained the first experimental evidence for the existence
of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), the enzyme that
controls the flow of carbon into phenylpropanoid
metabolism.
After obtaining his Ph.D., Professor Kosuge returned
to the discipline of plant pathology where he had obtained
an M.S. and began to utilize his skills as a biochemist to
examine the molecular basis of plant-pathogen interactions.
A limitation on space prevents a listing of all tbat he has
accomplished in this area, but one discovery should be
mentioned, namely the enzyme in Pseudomonas savastanoi
which catalyzes the monooxygenation-decarboxylation of
tryptophan forming indole-3-acetamide. This discovery 20
years ago not only was the first description of this class
of enzymes; it also laid the ground work for many papers on
3-indoleacetic acid (IAA) as a virulence factor in the
interaction of P. savastanoi with its host plants oleander
and olive. When sequencing of the genes involved in IAA
formation from tryptophan by P. savastanoi showed a
significant homology with crown gall T-DNA, the attention
of numerous laboratories was drawn to Professor Kosuge's
publications in this area.
Professor Kosuge has generously given of his time and
energy to his department and his institution, to editorial
boards of professional societies, and advisory panels of
vii
viii PREFACE
the federal government. In recent years he has become a
highly respected spokesman for plant biotechnology both
within the University of California and at the national
level. His service at the Competitive Research Grants
Office of the USDA, first in 1978-79 and later in 1983-84,
was warmly welcomed and appreciated by all who interacted
with that office during his tenure.
When the Phytochemical Society of North America
decided to hold a symposium on the role of phytochemistry
in plant biotechnology, the Executive Committee asked
Professor Kosuge to serve as the organizer. We did so
because of his broad knowledge of people working in the
field, the problems being pursued and the progress being
made. With characteristic enthusiasm Professor Kosuge was
able to arrange for contributions at the symposium from
eleven laboratories, several of which are among the most
active in the field. The symposium which was held on June
22-27, 1987 at the University of South Florida in Tampa,
provided for an unusual degree of interaction between the
speakers, some of whom were only a few years older than
many of the graduate students and post-doctorals in the
audience.
The nine chapters resulting from the symposium are
arranged into three groupings. Chapters 1 through 4
describe specific strategies for studying problems in plant
biotechnology; the strategies range from studies with whole
plants to work on the primary structure of an enzyme that
serves as the target for herbicide action of glyphosate.
Two chapters (chapters 5 and 6) describe studies on the
role of specific phytochemicals in important physiological
processes. Chapters 7 and 8 deal with the general subject
of plant stress, either from disease or from insect attack,
and the role of phytochemistry in these model systems.
Chapter 9 is an amusingly candid discussion, by an
experienced observer of the field, of the problems of
justifying and funding plant biotechnology in an era of
excess farm products and agricultural self-sufficiency.
The Organizing Committee for the 27th Annual Meeting
of the Phytochemical Society of North America, at which
this symposium was presented, consisted of Richard L.
Mansell and John T. Romeo who served as graciolls hosts. As
noted above, the PSNA is grateful to Tsune Kosuge for his
choice of speakers and topics for the symposium. The
PREFACE ix
facilities of the University of South Florida provided an
excellent environment for the meeting.
Financial support was provided by the College of
Natural Sciences and the Division of Sponsored Research of
the University of South Florida, the Dionex Corporation,
E.I. duPont de Nemours and Company, th~ Monsanto Company,
and the Phytochemical Society of North America. Thanks are
also due to Ms. Billie Gabriel for her skillful preparation
of the camera-ready copy.
Eric E. Conn
February 1988
CONTENTS
1. Somaclonal Variation: Its Genetic Basis
and Prospects for trop Improvement . 1
Robert A. Morrison, R.J. Whitaker
and David A. Evans
2. Genetic Manipulation of the Fatty Acid
Composition of Plant Lipids . . • . . 19
Chris R. Somerville and
John Browse
3. Studies on the 5-Enolpyruvylshikimate-
3-Phosphate Synthase Genes of Higher
Plants and Engineering of Glyphosate
Resistance • . • • • . '.' . . . . . 45
Charles S. Gasser, Dilip M. Shah,
Guy Della-Cioppa, Stephen M. Padgette,
Ganesh M. Kishore, Harry J. Klee,
Stephen G. Rogers, Robert B. Horsch
and Robert T. Fraley
4. Molecular Approaches to Understanding
Cellular Recognition in Plants • • . . 61
Antony Bacic and Adrienne E. Clarke
5. The Role of Plant Compounds in the Regulation
of Rhizobium Nodulation Genes • . . • • 83
N. Kent Peters and Sharon R. Long
6. Initial Interactions Between Plant Cells
and Agrobacterium tumefaciens in Crown
Gall Tumor Formation . ••.•••. 99
Gerard A. Cangelosi and
Eugene W. Nester
7. Plant Stress Responses: Discussion
of Models for Race-Specific Resistance 127
David N. Kuhn
xi
xii CONTENTS
8. Oligosaccharide Signalling for
Proteinase Inhibitor Genes in
Plant Leaves • 163
Clarence A. Ryan
9. Phytochemistry -- Its Role in the Future
of Plant Biotechnology 1987 • • • • • • 181
Leon Dure III
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191