Labeling of major plant lipids and jasmonic acid using [1-14C] lauric acid

A medium chain length fatty acid, [1-C-14] lauric acid (12:0) was administered to the detached leaves of Artemisia and was incorporated into major lipids, including phospholipids and galactolipids. [1-C-14] 12:0 was elongated and desaturated into linolenic acid (18:3). In detached leaves of both Artemisia and Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Columbia, radioactivity from [C-14]18:3 was incorporated into jasmonic acid (JA) and methyl jasmonate (MJ). Higher amounts of [C-14]JA were measured in Artemisia than Arabidopsis leaves. In Artemisia, [C-14]JA was actively metabolized into [C-14]MJ. Extracts prepared from the leaves of Artemisia, exhibited higher in vitro JA methyltransferase activity than those from Arabidopsis. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.