The Effects of Wounding and Ethylene on Cellular Fatty Acid Composition of Avena Sativa
Location
CSU
Student's Major
Chemistry and Geology
Student's College
Science, Engineering and Technology
Mentor's Name
James Rife
Mentor's Department
Chemistry and Geology
Mentor's College
Science, Engineering and Technology
Description
Plant defense responses to wounding, pathogen attack, and environmental stresses often involve the production of various intermediates of the octadecanoid pathway, which are derived from the fatty acid linolenic acid. Ethylene is a plant hormone that has also been implicated in defense responses. The goal of this project has been to determine if wounding causes changes in the fatty acid composition of plants and to determine whether ethylene plays a role in this response. Controlled and wounded nine-day old Avena sativa (oats) plants were treated with ethylene, norbomadiene or silver thiosulfate. Norbomadiene and silver thiosulfate inhibit the action of endogenous ethylene. The oat leaves were harvested at 0, 1,4, 8, and 22 hours following wounding and treatment. Lipids were then extracted from leaves and the lipids were fractionated using solid phase extraction. The methyl esters of the fatty acids in these fractions were prepared by transesterification with sulfuric acid in methanol. The resulting fatty acid methyl esters will be analyzed using gas chromatography with methyl heptadecanoate as an internal standard.
The Effects of Wounding and Ethylene on Cellular Fatty Acid Composition of Avena Sativa
CSU
Plant defense responses to wounding, pathogen attack, and environmental stresses often involve the production of various intermediates of the octadecanoid pathway, which are derived from the fatty acid linolenic acid. Ethylene is a plant hormone that has also been implicated in defense responses. The goal of this project has been to determine if wounding causes changes in the fatty acid composition of plants and to determine whether ethylene plays a role in this response. Controlled and wounded nine-day old Avena sativa (oats) plants were treated with ethylene, norbomadiene or silver thiosulfate. Norbomadiene and silver thiosulfate inhibit the action of endogenous ethylene. The oat leaves were harvested at 0, 1,4, 8, and 22 hours following wounding and treatment. Lipids were then extracted from leaves and the lipids were fractionated using solid phase extraction. The methyl esters of the fatty acids in these fractions were prepared by transesterification with sulfuric acid in methanol. The resulting fatty acid methyl esters will be analyzed using gas chromatography with methyl heptadecanoate as an internal standard.
