Distribution of polyprenols and dolichols in soybean plant

Using a convenient two-plate thin layer chromatography method, polyprenols and dolichols in soybean plant were analysed. These polyisoprenoid alcohols were found to occur in different quantities from tissue to tissue. The leaves contained ficaprenols (C₅₀, C₅₅, C₆₀), glycinoprenols (C₄₅, C₅₀, C₅₅) and dolichols (C₈₀, C₈₅) with the major being ficaprenols, while the shoots, roots and seeds contained only dolichols. Analysis of the subcellular distribution of these compounds in the leaves demonstrated that ficaprenols, glycinoprenols and dolichols were mostly located in the chloroplast. When the chloroplast fraction was incubated with a combination of [1-¹⁴C]isopentenyl diphosphate and farnesyl diphosphate, radioactive polyprenols composed of C₄₅, C₅₀, C₅₅ and C₇₀, C₇₅ were formed, suggesting that biosynthesis site for these polyprenols is localized in the chloroplast. The shorter chain ficaprenols and the longer chain dolichols were also found in the leaves of spinach, perilla, parsley and evergreen magnolia, which are dicotyledonous plants.