Synthesis and biological activities of 8’ -methylene- and 8’ -methyjidyneabscisic acids

Abstract

8′-Methylene- and 8′-methylidyneabscisic acids which might act as suicide inhibitors of the 8′-hydroxylase of abscisic acid, were designed, synthesized, and optically resolved. The (+)-isomers showed stronger inhibitory activity in rice elongation and in lettuce seed germination than (+)-abscisic acid. The activity of (+)-8′-methylidyneabscisic acid was the strongest of the analogues synthesized to date, 40-fold stronger than abscisic acid. © 2001 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.