Biosynthesis of the prenyl side chains of plastoquinone and related compounds in maize and barley shoots.

The incorporation of (14)C by etiolated maize and barley shoots exposed to light of (14)CO(2) and [2-(14)C]mevalonic acid into phylloquinone, plastoquinone, ubiquinone, alpha-tocopherolquinone and alpha-tocopherol was examined. In maize (the principal tissue studied) it was demonstrated that (14)C from [2-(14)C]mevalonic acid is incorporated into phylloquinone, plastoquinone and ubiquinone. alpha-Tocopherol and alpha-tocopherolquinone, although undoubtedly labelled from this substrate, were not purified completely. As expected, (14)C from (14)CO(2) was incorporated into all components examined. Ozonolytic degradation studies showed that (14)C from [2-(14)C]mevalonic acid was incorporated specifically into the prenyl side chains of plastoquinone and ubiquinone, and from this it was inferred that mevalonic acid can be regarded as the specific distal precursor to the prenyl portions of all terpenoid quinones occurring in plant tissues. From a comparison of the relative incorporation of (14)C from (14)CO(2) and [2-(14)C]mevalonic acid into the intra- and extra-chloroplastidic terpenoids evidence was obtained consistent with the tenet that the prenyl portions of the chloroplastidic quinones phylloquinone and plastoquinone, along with beta-carotene, are biosynthesized within the confines of the chloroplast, the side chain of the extraplastidic ubiquinone and phytosterols being synthesized elsewhere within the cell. The results obtained for the incorporation of (14)C from (14)CO(2) and [2-(14)C]mevalonic acid into alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherolquinone were not readily interpretable with regard to the site of synthesis of these compounds.