Rhodestrin: a novel indole terpenoid phytohormone from Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

A new phytohormone was isolated as a metabolite of anthranilate photobiotransformation by Rhodobacter sphaeroides OU5. It was identified by MS and NMR ((1)H, (13)C) as an indole terpenoid ester [(2E,4E,6E,8E,10E,12E,14E,16E,18E)24-hydroxy-2,6,10,14,19 pentamethyl tetrecosa-2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18 nonenyl-2(hydroxy methyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylate] and is named as rhodestrin. Rhodestrin at 50 nM: gave positive test in auxin bioassay and initiated more profuse and early rooting in tissue-cultured plants than other auxins at 5 microM.