Chemistry of Gibberellins From Flowering Plants 481 



presence of a lactone, an alcoholic hydroxyl, and two ethylenic double 

 bonds not in conjugation with other sites of unsaturation. These 

 properties are discussed in terms of possible structures for bean fac- 

 tor II. 



LITERATURE CITED 



1. Bird, H. L., Jr., and Piigh, C. T. A paper chromatographic separation of gihber- 

 eUic acid and gibbereliin A. Plant Physiol. 33: 45, 46. 1958. 



2. Cross, B. E., Grove, J. F., MacMillan, J., and Mulholland, T. P. C. The struc- 

 ture of gibberellic acid. Proc. Chem. Soc. 1958: 221, 222. 1958. 



3. Grove, J. F., Jeffs, P. W., and Mulholland, T. P. C. Gibberellic acid. Part V. 

 The relation between gibbereliin A^ and gibberellic acid. Jour. Chem. Soc. 

 1958: 1236-1240. 1958. 



4. Kitamura, H., Takahashi, N., Seta, Y., and Sumiki, Y. Biochemical studies on 

 "Bakanae" fungus. Part 47. Chemical structure of gibberellins. Part XIV. Bui. 

 Agr. Chem. Soc. Japan. 22: 434, 435. 1958. 



5. Lemieux, R. U., and von Rudloff, E. Periodate-permanganate oxidations. II. De- 

 termination of terminal methylene groups. Canad. Jour. Chem. 33: 17I0-I7I3. 

 1955. 



6. MacMillan, J., and Suter, P. J. The occurrence of gibbereliin Ai in higher 

 plants: isolation from the seed of runner bean {Phaseolus multiflorus). Natur- 

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7. Phinney, B. O. Dwarfing genes in Zea mays and their relation to the gibber- 

 ellins. This volume. 489-501. 



8. Seta, Y., Takahashi, N., Kitamura, H., and Sumiki, Y. Biochemical studies on 

 "Bakanae" fungus. Part 45. Chemical structure of the gibberellins. Part XII. Bui. 

 Agr. Chem. Soc. Japan. 22: 429-431. 1958. 



9. Sumiki, Y., and Kawarada, A. Relation between chemical structure and physi- 

 ological activity. This volume. 503-504. 



10. Takahashi, N., Seta, Y., Kitamura, H., and Sumiki, Y. Biochemical studies on 

 "Bakanae" fungus. Part 46. Chemical structure of gibberellins. Part XIII. Bui. 

 Agr. Chem. Soc. Japan. 22: 432, 433. 1958. 



11. West, C. A., and Phinney, B. O. Gibberellins from flowering plants. I. Isola- 

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DISCUSSION 



Dr. Galston: I don't need to remind you that I am not a chemist, 

 but I had understood from previous reports that when the lactone 

 ring was broken, the evidence indicated that the position of two hy- 

 droxyl groups was ortho to each other on the A-ring. This new struc- 

 ture proposed by the I.C.I, group would not permit this. Is that 

 correct? 



Dr. West: It is correct that when you hydrolyze gibberellic acid 

 with base to open the lactone ring, the resulting product reduces 

 periodate. Both the British and Japanese groups found this and it 

 was one of the reasons why the British group suggested the structure 

 given. However, the new position is this: when you hydrolyze the 



