A STUDY OF BIOSYNTHESIS OF DEOXYRIBOSE IN WHEAT EMBRYOS

Glucose labeled in various carbons with 14C was fed to wheat embryos for four different time periods. Deoxyribose was isolated and sequentially degraded to determine the position of labeling. When glucose-6-14C was supplied, radioactivity first appeared in C5 while longer feeding periods resulted in some label incorporation in C3 followed by random labeling of C1, C2, and C4. Embryo feeding with glucose-2-14C resulted in radioactivity appearing in C1, C2, and C4 with randomization at long feeding periods. Feeding glucose-1-14C resulted in label appearing first in Q and C5 followed by C3 and random labeling of C2 and C4. On the basis of these results, it is suggested that a combination of the oxidative and nonoxidative pathways is involved. © 1969, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.