Gaschromatographic, Mass- and Infrared-Spectrometric Identification of Cyclic Adenosine-3': 5'-monophosphate (c-AMP) in Maize Seedlings (Zea mays)

c-AMP has been identified as a mediator in the action of several hormones and of changes induced by the environment in mammals, bacteria, algae and fungi [1-7], However, the occurence and function of c-AMP in higher plants is currently a matter of controversy [8 -12]. Attempts to detect c-AMP in higher plants using different assay systems have been inconclusive for several reasons [10, 11]. The principal difficulty with plant extracts has been that these materials interfere with the biochemical assays for c-AMP. Consequently, levels of c-AMP ranging from 1 to 104pmol/g fresh weight, have been re­ ported for various higher plants [13-17], Recent studies refered to the presence of c-AMP in higher plant cells suspended in axenic liquid culture at concentrations up to 12pmol/g fresh weight [18], Until now usually biochemical assays have been applied to detect c-AMP in plant tissue although UV controlled HPLC-separation and some IR-data have been published [19]. In this paper the presence of c-AMP in higher plants is shown by a simple extraction method followed by different purification steps, gas chro­ matography and by massand IR-spectral data. A variety of physiological experiments related to c-AMP in maize seedlings have been reported. One question of interest was the synthesis of c-AMP in coleoptile sections by 3-indole acetic acid [20] and the enhancement of adenylate cyclase activity in coleoptile homogenates [20]. Another question was