The Structural Characterization of Endogenous Factors from Vinca rosea Crown Gall Tumors that Promote Cell Division of Tobacco Cells

The ability of two compounds, a cytokinin and an auxin, to stimulate tobacco cell growth and differentiation has been known for >30 years, but the molecular mechanism of this activation is still unknown. Previous reports of factors endogenous in crown gall tumors of Vinca rosea that could replace the cytokinin requirement in tobacco cell culture has motivated an investigation of these tissues. The optimization of a reverse-phase isolation scheme has led to the purification of sufficient material to allow for the identification of six different related compounds. The structures of two of these compounds have been assigned as a set of epimeric dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol β -D-glycosides. The structure of these compounds suggests that they would most likely be derived from the plant cell wall.