Quinolinic acid, alpha-picolinic acid, fusaric acid, and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid enhance the Fenton reaction in phosphate buffer.

Quinolinic acid, alpha-picolinic acid, fusaric acid, and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid enhanced the Fenton reaction in phosphate buffer, respectively. The enhancement by quinolinic acid, alpha-picolinic acid, fusaric acid, and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid of the Fenton reaction may be partly related to their respective actions in the biological systems such as a neurotoxic effect (quinolinic acid), a marked growth-inhibitory action on rice seeding (alpha-picolinic acid and fusaric acid), and an antiseptic (2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid). The ultraviolet-visible absorption spectrum of the mixture of alpha-picolinic acid with ferrous ion showed a characteristic visible absorbance band with a lambda(max) at 443 nm, suggesting that alpha-picolinic acid chelate of Fe2+ ion forms in the solution. Similar characteristic visible absorbance band was also observed for the mixture of Fe2+ ion with quinolinic acid (or fusaric acid, or 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid). The chelation seems to be related to the enhancement by quinolinic acid, alpha-picolinic acid, fusaric acid, and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid of the Fenton reaction. alpha-Picolinic acid was reported to be a toxic substance isolated from the culture liquids of blast mould (Piricularia oryzae CAVARA). On the other hand, it has also been known that chlorogenic acid protects rice plants from the blast disease. The chlorogenic acid inhibited the formation of the hydroxyl radical in the reaction mixture of alpha-picolinic acid, FeSO4(NH4)2SO4, and H2O2. Thus the inhibition may be a possible mechanism of the protective action of the chlorogenic acid against the blast disease.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic separation of ascorbic acid,erythorbic acid,dehydroascorbic acid,dehydroerythorbic acid,diketogulonic acid,and diketogluconic acid

High-performance liquid chromatography on a Zorbax NH₂ analytical column, with acetonitrile: 0.05 m KH₂PO₄ (75:25, $\text{w}\text{w}$) used as eluant, has allowed the separation, in less than 14 min, of ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, dehydroascorbic acid, dehydroerythorbic acid, diketogulonic acid, and diketogluconic acid. Ultraviolet monitoring at 268 nm allows ascorbic acid and erythorbic acid to be detected at the 25-ng level, while refractive index detection monitors the elution of all six compounds. Tyrosine is a good internal standard, being well separated from the other compounds and having an adequate ultraviolet absorption at 268 nm. We have found dithiothreitol to be effective in rapidly reducing dehydroascorbic acid to ascorbic acid, providing the basis for indirectly determining dehydroascorbic acid after its reduction. The potential of this high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure for evaluating the levels of these compounds in orange juice and urine is demonstrated.     

Preparation of dehydro-l-(+)-ascorbic acid dimer by oxidation of ascorbic acid with arsenic acid/iodine and formation of complexes between arsenious acid and ascorbic acid

Ascorbic acid in the presence of a catalytic amount of iodine reduces arsenic acid in methanol giving the arsenious acid bound to the 2-methyl hemi-ketal of dehydroascorbic acid, 5, in 1:1 and in a more stable 2:1 5/As(III) molar ratio. Removal of the As(III) and treating the 2-methyl hemi-ketal of dehydroascorbic acid with refluxing acetonitrile affords the pure, crystalline dehydroascorbic acid dimer in good yields. Ascorbic acid also binds to As(III) of H(3)AsO(3) in a 1:1 and 2:1 ascorbic acid/As(III) molar ratio. The 1:1 complex is not stable and by expulsion of H(3)AsO(3) is transformed to the more stable 2:1 complex. The data do not permit distinguishing the 2:1 complexes between [AsL(2)(H(2)O)](-)H(+) or AsL(LH)(H(2)O) where L is the bis deprotonated and LH is the mono deprotonated 2-methyl hemi-ketal of dehydroascorbic acid or ascorbic acid. The 2:1 ascorbic acid/As(III) complex is oxidized by dioxygen, in a solvent-dependent manner, to dehydroascorbic acid implying dioxygen activation by the bound As(III). With thiophenol the same complex gives quantitatively triphenyl trithioarsenite, As(SPh)(3).     

Solid-liquid phase behavior of binary fatty acid mixtures. 2. Mixtures of oleic acid with lauric acid, myristic acid, and palmitic acid

Solid-liquid phase behavior was investigated for binary fatty acid mixtures composed of oleic acid (OA; cis-9-octadecenoic acid) and saturated fatty acids, lauric acid (LA; dodecanoic acid), myristic acid (MA; tetradecanoic acid), and palmitic acid (PA; hexadecanoic acid), by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). When the mixture was heated immediately after the solidification from the melt, the heat effect due to the gamma-to-alpha transformation of OA varied depending on the composition of the mixture. However, the mixture subjected to an annealing at the temperature slightly below the melting temperature provided the transformation at constant temperature which corresponds to the gamma-to-alpha transformation temperature of pure OA. This suggests that a solid phase formed by cooling of the melt of the mixture is not in an equilibrium state, but it relaxes to a stable solid during the annealing process. The T-X phase diagrams of these mixtures constructed from the DSC measurements demonstrate that the two fatty acid species are completely immiscible in a solid phase regardless of the type of polymorphs of OA, alpha- or gamma-form. According to a thermodynamic analysis of liquidus line basing on the regular solution model for the melt, the non-ideality of mixing tends to increase with the decrease in the acyl chain length of the saturated fatty acid, although the mixing is rather close to ideal.     

Solid-liquid phase behavior of binary fatty acid mixtures. 1. Oleic acid/stearic acid and oleic acid/behenic acid mixtures

Solid-liquid phase behavior of binary fatty acid mixtures was investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) for the mixture composed of oleic acid (OA) and stearic acid (SA) and that composed of OA and behenic acid (BA). The DSC results provided a monotectic type T-X phase diagram for these mixtures, from which it was suggested that the two fatty acid species are completely immiscible in a solid phase regardless of the two polymorphs of OA, i.e., alpha-form or gamma-form. The solid phase immiscibility was confirmed by the FT-IR observation that the spectra obtained for the mixtures correspond to the superposition of the two spectra for respective components. Thermodynamic analysis of liquidus line demonstrated that OA and SA form an ideal mixture in a liquid phase, whereas the mixing of OA and BA in a liquid phase is slightly non-ideal.     

Enzymatic synthesis of lysophosphatidic acid and phosphatidic acid

Immobilised 1,3-specific lipase from Rhizopus arrhizus was used as catalyst for the esterification of -glycero-3-phosphate and fatty acid or fatty acid vinyl ester in a solvent-free system. With lauric acid vinyl ester as acyl donor, a_w<0.53 favored the synthesis of lysophosphatidic acid (1-acyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphate, LPA1) and the spontaneous acyl migration of the fatty acid on the molecule. Subsequent acylation by the enzyme resulted in high phosphatidic acid (1,2-diacyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphate, PA) formation and high total conversions (>95%). With oleic acid, maximum conversions of 55% were obtained at low water activities. Temperatures below melting point of the product favored precipitation and resulted in high final conversion and high product ratio [LPA/(PA+LPA)]. Thus, LPA was the only product with lauric acid vinyl ester as acyl donor at 25°C. Increased substrate ratio ( -glycero-3-phosphate/fatty acid) from 0.05 to 1 resulted in a higher ratio of LPA to PA formed, but a lower total conversion of -glycero-3-phosphate. Increased amounts of enzyme preparation did not result in higher esterification rates, probably due to high mass-transfer limitations.     

Uracil in formic acid hydrolysates of deoxyribonucleic acid

1. When DNA is hydrolysed with formic acid for 30min. at 175 degrees and the hydrolysate is chromatographed on paper with propan-2-ol-2n-hydrochloric acid, in addition to expected ultraviolet-absorbing spots corresponding to guanine, adenine, cytosine and thymine, an ultraviolet-absorbing region with R(F) similar to that of uracil can be detected. Uracil was separated from this region and identified by its spectra in acid and alkali, and by its R(F) in several solvent systems. 2. Cytosine, deoxyribocytidine and deoxyribocytidylic acid similarly treated with formic acid all yielded uracil, as did a mixture of deoxyribonucleotides. 3. Approx. 4% of deoxyribonucleotide cytosine was converted into uracil by the formic acid treatment.     

Gamma-carboxyglutamic acid

Summary Gamma-carboxyglutamic acid is an amino acid with a dicarboxylic acid side chain. This amino acid, with unique metal binding properties, confers metal binding character to the proteins into which it is incorporated. This amino acid has been discovered in blood coagulation proteins (prothrombin, Factor X, Factor IX, and Factor VII), plasma proteins of unknown function (Protein C, Protein S, and Protein Z), and proteins from calcified tissue (osteocalcin and bone-Gla protein). It has also been observed in renal calculi, atherosclerotic plaque, and the egg chorioallantoic membrane, among other tissues. Gamma-carboxyglutamic acid is synthesized by the post-translational modification of glutamic acid residues. This reaction, catalyzed by a hepatic carboxylase, requires reduced vitamin K, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. The function of -carboxyglutamic acid is uncertain. In prothrombin y-carboxyglutamic acid residues bound to metal ions participate as an intramolecular non-covalent bridge to maintain protein conformation. Additionally, these amino acids participate in the calcium-dependent molecular assembly of proteins on membrane surfaces through intermolecular bridges involving y-carboxyglutamic acid and metal ions.     

Molecularly imprinted polymer using-p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid and p-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid as templates.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) using p-hydroxybenzoic acid (p-HB), p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (p-HPA) and p-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid (p-HPPA) as templates were synthesized. The performance of the templates and their analogues on polymer-based high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) columns was studied. The imprinting effect of the MIP using p-HB as template is more obvious than that of MIP using either p-HPA or p-HPPA as template, and the mixture of p-HB and p-HPA can be well separated on the MIP using p-HB as template, but not on the blank. Interestingly, the recognition of MIP (p-HB as the template) to p-HB showed a synergistic effect. The retention factor of p-HB is not the sum of those of phenol and benzoic acid. We also found that the imprinting effect decreased when increasing the concentration of acetic acid in mobile phase. The possible reason is that acetic acid molecules occupied the binding sites of the polymer, thereby decreasing the concentration of binding sites. Furthermore, polymers, which showed specificity to 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, can be prepared with p-HB as template. It is thus possible to synthesize a specific polymer for a compound that is either expensive or unstable by using a structurally similar compound as template.     

Interconversion between dehydro-L-ascorbic acid and L-ascorbic acid

L-Ascorbic acid (AA) plays an important role in biological systems as an electron donor. Erythorbic acid (EA) is the epimer of AA and has chemical characteristics very similar to those of AA. It is demonstrated in the present study by 1H-NMR that dehydro-L-ascorbic acid (DAA) was reduced by EA under neutral conditions but not acidic, and that dehydroerythorbic acid (DEA) was also reduced by AA under the same conditions. These reactions also occurred at a low concentration close to the concentration of AA in such biological tissue as the liver. Furthermore, the interconversion of DAA and AA at neutral pH and low concentration was also confirmed by radioluminography. These results suggest the interconversion between DAA and AA in vivo.     

Ursodeoxycholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, and 7-ketolithocholic acid are primary bile acids of the guinea pig

Guinea pig gallbladder bile contains chenodeoxycholic acid (62 +/- 5%), ursodeoxycholic acid (8 +/- 5%), and 7-ketolithocholic acid (30 +/- 5%). All three bile acids became labeled to the same specific activity within 30 min after [3H]cholesterol was injected into bile fistula guinea pigs. When a mixture of [3H]ursodeoxycholic acid and [14C]chenodeoxycholic acid was infused into another bile fistula guinea pig, little 3H could be detected in either chenodeoxycholic acid or 7-ketolithocholic acid. But, 14C was efficiently incorporated into ursodeoxycholic and 7-ketolithocholic acids. Monohydroxylated bile acids make up 51% and ursodeoxycholic acid 38% of fecal bile acids. After 3 weeks of antibiotic therapy, lithocholic acid was reduced to 6% of the total, but ursodeoxycholic acid (5-11%) and 7-ketolithocholic (15-21%) acid persisted in bile. Lathosterol constituted 19% of skin sterols and was detected in the feces of an antibiotic-fed animal. After one bile fistula guinea pig suffered a partial biliary obstruction, ursodeoxycholic and 7-ketolithocholic acids increased to 46% and 22% of total bile acids, respectively. These results demonstrate that chenodeoxycholic acid, ursodeoxycholic acid, and 7-ketolithocholic acid can all be made in the liver of the guinea pig.     

Regioselective hydroxylation of quinolinic acid,lutidinic acid and isocinchomeronic acid by resting cells of pyridine dicarboxylic acid-degrading microorganisms

Microorganisms aerobically degrading quinolinic acid, lutidinic acid or isocinchomeronic acid were isolated and the microbial regioselective hydroxylation of these pyridine dicarboxylic acids was studied. Alcaligenes sp. UK21 cells converted quinolinic acid into 6-hydroxypicolinic acid, suggesting the involvement of two enzyme reactions catalyzing hydroxylation at position C6 and decarboxylation at position C3 of quinolinic acid. Resting cells of Alcaligenes sp. UK21 accumulated 94.9 mM 6-hydroxypicolinic acid (13.2 g l(-1)), with a 96% molar conversion yield by 48 h incubation. Rhizobium sp. LA17 and Hydrogenophaga sp. IMA01 catalyzed the regioselective hydroxylation of lutidinic acid and isocinchomeronic acid into 6-hydroxylutidinic acid and 6-hydroxyisocinchomeronic acid, respectively. 6-Hydroxylutidinic acid accumulated up to 95.4 mM (17.5 g l(-1)) by 24 h incubation in the resting cells reaction, using Rhizobium sp. LA17, with a 99% molar conversion yield. Resting cells of Hydrogenophaga sp. IMA01 produced 88.7 mM 6-hydroxyisocinchomeronic acid (16.2 g l(-1)) by 24 h incubation, with a 81% molar conversion yield.     

Inhibition by chlorogenic acid of haematin-catalysed retinoic acid 5,6-epoxidation.

Chlorogenic acid (3-O-caffeoylquinic acid) inhibited haematin- and haemoglobin-catalysed retinoic acid 5,6-epoxidation. Some other phenol compounds (caffeic acid and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid) also showed inhibitory effects on the haematin- and haemoglobin-catalysed epoxidation, but salicylic acid did not. Of the above compounds, caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid were potent inhibitors compared with the other two, suggesting that the o-hydroquinone moiety of chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid is essential to the inhibition of the epoxidation. Although caffeic acid inhibited retinoic acid 5,6-epoxidation requiring the consumption of O2, formation of retinoic acid radicals was not inhibited on the addition of caffeic acid to the incubation mixture. The above results suggest that caffeic acid does not inhibit the formation of retinoic acid radicals but does inhibit the step of conversion of retinoic acid radical into the 5,6-epoxide.     

In rat hepatocytes, myristic acid occurs through lipogenesis, palmitic acid shortening and lauric acid elongation

The origin of myristic acid in mammalian cells and the regulation of its endogenous cellular low concentration are not known. Another intriguing question is the potential metabolic properties of endogenous myristic acid as compared with exogenous myristic acid. In the present paper, we hypothesised and demonstrated that, in liver cells, in addition to the usual fatty acid synthase (FAS) pathway that produces predominantly palmitic acid and minor amounts of myristic acid, part of endogenous cellular myristic acid also comes from a shortening of palmitic acid, likely by peroxisomal β-oxidation and from lauric acid by elongation. From a nutritional point of view, C16:0 is universally found in natural fats and its shortening to myristic acid could contribute to a non-negligible source of this fatty acid (FA) in the organism. Then, we measured the distribution of endogenously synthesised myristic acid in lipid species and compared it with that of exogenous myristic acid. Our results do not support the hypothesis of different metabolic fates of endogenous and exogenous myristic acid and suggest that whatever the origin of myristic acid, its cellular concentration and lipid distribution are highly regulated.     

Stomatal responses to jasmonic acid, linolenic acid and abscisic acid in wild-type and ABA-deficient tomato plants

Wild-type and abscisic acid (ABA) -deficient (sitiens) tomato plants were used to analyse the effects of abscisic acid (ABA), butyric acid (BA), jasmonic acid (JA) and linolenic acid (LA) on assimilation and transpiration rates in detached leaves taking up those substances into the transpiration stream. BA did not affect assimilation and transpiration rates. ABA decreased assimilation and transpiration in both wild-type and ABA-deficient mutants. JA reduced the assimilation rate in both lines but induced a significant reduction of transpiration in the wild type only. The response to LA in both lines was slower than that to JA.     

Metmyoglobin promotes arachidonic acid peroxidation at acid pH

The ability of metmyoglobin and other heme proteins to promote peroxidation of arachidonic acid under acidic conditions was investigated. Incubation of metmyoglobin with arachidonic acid resulted in a pH-dependent increase in lipid peroxidation as measured by the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive products and oxygen consumption. Increased peroxidation was observed at pH levels below 6.0, reaching a plateau between pH 5.5 and 5.0. At comparable heme concentrations, metmyoglobin was more efficient than oxymyoglobin, methemoglobin, or ferricytochrome c in promoting arachidonic acid peroxidation. Metmyoglobin also promoted peroxidation of 1-palmityl-2-arachidonyl phosphatidylcholine and methylarachidonate but at significantly lower rates than arachidonic acid. Addition of fatty acid-free albumin inhibited arachidonic acid peroxidation in a molar ratio of 6 to 1 (arachidonic acid:albumin). Both ionic and non-ionic detergents inhibited metmyoglobin-dependent arachidonic acid peroxidation under acidic conditions. The anti-oxidants butylated hydroxytoluene and nordihydroguaiaretic acid and low molecular weight compounds with reduced sulfhydryl groups inhibited the reaction. However, mannitol, benzoic acid, and deferoxamine were without significant effect. Visible absorption spectra of metmyoglobin following reaction with arachidonic acid showed minimal changes consistent with a low level of degradation of the heme protein during the reaction. These observations support the hypothesis that metmyoglobin and other heme proteins can promote significant peroxidation of unsaturated fatty acids under conditions of mildly acidic pH such as may occur at sites of inflammation and during myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. This may be the result of enhanced aggregation of the fatty acid and/or interaction of the fatty acid with heme under acidic conditions.     

Evaluation of clastogenicity of formic acid, acetic acid and lactic acid on cultured mammalian cells

Using Chinese hamster ovary K1 cells, chromosomal aberration tests were carried out with formic acid, acetic acid and lactic acid, and the relationship between the pH of the medium and the clastogenic activity was examined. The medium used was Ham's F12 supplemented with 17 mM NaHCO3 and 10% fetal calf serum. All of these acids induced chromosomal aberrations at the initial pH of ca. 6.0 or below (about 10-14 mM of each acid) both with and without S9 mix. Exposure of cells to about pH 5.7 or below (about 12-16 mM of each acid) was found to be toxic. When the culture medium was first acidified with each of these acids and then neutralized to pH 6.4 or pH 7.2 with NaOH, no clastogenic activity was observed. Using F12 medium supplemented with 34 mM NaHCO3 as a buffer, no clastogenic activity was observed at doses up to 25 mM of these acids (initial pH 5.8-6.0). However, it was found that about 10% of the cells had aberrations at pH 5.7 or below (27.5-32.5 mM of each acid). Furthermore, when 30 mM HEPES was used as a buffer, chromosomal aberrations were not induced at doses up to 20 mM formic acid and acetic acid (initial pH 7.0-7.1), and at doses up to 30 mM lactic acid (initial pH 6.6). In the initial pH range of 6.4-6.7 (25-32.5 mM of each acid), chromosomal aberrations were observed. The above results show that these acids themselves are non-clastogenic, and the pseudo-positive reactions attributable to non-physiological pH could be eliminated by either neutralization of the treatment medium or enhancement of the buffering ability.     

Production of polymalic acid and malic acid by Aureobasidium pullulans fermentation and acid hydrolysis

Malic acid is a dicarboxylic acid widely used in the food industry and also a potential C4 platform chemical that can be produced from biomass. However, microbial fermentation for direct malic acid production is limited by low product yield, titer, and productivity due to end‐product inhibition. In this work, a novel process for malic acid production from polymalic acid (PMA) fermentation followed by acid hydrolysis was developed. First, a PMA‐producing Aureobasidium pullulans strain ZX‐10 was screened and isolated. This microbe produced PMA as the major fermentation product at a high‐titer equivalent to 87.6 g/L of malic acid and high‐productivity of 0.61 g/L h in free‐cell fermentation in a stirred‐tank bioreactor. Fed‐batch fermentations with cells immobilized in a fibrous‐bed bioreactor (FBB) achieved the highest product titer of 144.2 g/L and productivity of 0.74 g/L h. The fermentation produced PMA was purified by adsorption with IRA‐900 anion‐exchange resins, achieving a ～100% purity and a high recovery rate of 84%. Pure malic acid was then produced from PMA by hydrolysis with 2 M sulfuric acid at 85°C, which followed the first‐order reaction kinetics. This process provides an efficient and economical way for PMA and malic acid production, and is promising for industrial application. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 2105–2113. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Modulation of membrane curvature by phosphatidic acid and lysophosphatidic acid

The local generation of phosphatidic acid plays a key role in the regulation of intracellular membrane transport through mechanisms which are largely unknown. Phosphatidic acid may recruit and activate downstream effectors, or change the biophysical properties of the membrane and directly induce membrane bending and/or destabilization. To evaluate these possibilities, we determined the phase properties of phosphatidic acid and lysophosphatidic acid at physiological conditions of pH and ion concentrations. In single-lipid systems, unsaturated phosphatidic acid behaved as a cylindrical, bilayer-preferring lipid at cytosolic conditions (37 °C, pH 7.2, 0.5 m m free Mg²⁺), but acquired a type-II shape at typical intra-Golgi conditions, a mildly acidic pH and submillimolar free Ca²⁺ (pH 6.6–5.9, 0.3 m m Ca²⁺). Lysophosphatidic acid formed type-I lipid micelles in the absence of divalent cations, but anhydrous cation-lysophosphatidic acid bilayer complexes in their presence. These data suggest a similar molecular shape for phosphatidic acid and lysophosphatidic acid at cytosolic conditions; however, experiments in mixed-lipid systems indicate that their shape is not identical. Lysophosphatidic acid stabilized the bilayer phase of unsaturated phosphatidylethanolamine, while the opposite effect was observed in the presence of phosphatidic acid. These results support the hypothesis that a conversion of lysophosphatidic acid into phosphatidic acid by endophilin or BARS (50 kDa brefeldin A ribosylated substrate) may induce negative spontaneous monolayer curvature and regulate endocytic and Golgi membrane fission. Alternative models for the regulation of membrane fission based on the strong dependence of the molecular shape of (lyso)phosphatidic acid on pH and divalent cations are also discussed.     

Abscisic acid activates acid invertases in developing grape berry

Acid invertases play a key role in sugar metabolism, and the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) enhances sugar accumulation in crop sink organs, but information about the relationship between ABA and acid invertases has been limited. The present experiments were done with both in vivo pre-incubation of the grape ( Vitis vinifera  ×  V . labrusca L.) berry tissues in ABA-containing medium and in vivo infiltration of ABA into the intact berries. The results show that ABA activates both the soluble and cell wall-bound acid invertases during fruit development by enhancing their activities and amounts as assessed by immunoblotting or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. This activation was pH, time course and ABA dose dependent. The serine/threonine protein kinase inhibitors K252a, staurosporine and H7 and acid phosphatase increased the activation of ABA-induced acid invertase, but the tyrosine protein kinase inhibitor quercetin strongly suppressed the ABA-induced effects, suggesting that a complex reversible protein phosphorylation is involved in the ABA-induced activation of acid invertases. The effects of the protein kinase inhibitors were dependent on the in vivo state of the tissues but independent of the expression of acid invertases. Two ABA analogues, (–)-ABA and trans-ABA, had no effect on acid invertases, showing that the ABA-induced activation of acid invertases is specific to the physiologically active form of ABA. These data suggest that ABA may be involved in fruit development by activating acid invertases.