Recent advances on bioorganic chemistry of plant metabolites controlling nyctinasty

Abstract

Leguminous plants open their leaves during the daytime and close them at night as if sleeping, a type of movement that follows circadian rhythms, and is known as nyctinastic movement. This phenomenon is controlled by two endogenous bioactive substances that exhibit opposing activities: Leaf-Opening Factor (LOF), which opens the leaves, and Leaf-Closing Factor (LCF), which closes them. The authors have carried out chemical biological research using these bioactive substances as molecular probes in order to clarify the mechanisms of nyctinastic movement. Here, we report on the detection and identification of the target proteins of these compounds using original methodology. © 2010 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.