DEVELOPMENTAL VARIATION OF THE NEUROTOXIN, BETA-N-OXALYL-L-ALPHA,BETA-DIAMINO PROPIONIC-ACID (ODAP), IN LATHYRUS-SATIVUS

Several species of the tribe Viceae (Leguminosae) produce non-protein amino acids that are toxic to man and animals. The neurotoxin beta-N-oxalyl-L-alpha,beta-diamino propionic acid (ODAP) in cultivated Lathyrus sativus causes human neurolathyrism, a neurological disease resulting in the paralysis of lower limbs. Surveys have shown that there are large scale variations between species of Lathyrus and varieties of L. sativus for the amount of cellular ODAP. In the present investigation, thin-layer chromatography and chemical analysis were used to study developmental variation in the amount of ODAP in tissues and organs of L. sativus. The results confirmed that the rate of synthesis and accumulation of ODAP varied during plant development. Increased rates of synthesis were confirmed in young seedlings and in the developing fruits of L. sativus.