Nature 211, 1093 - 1095 (03 September 1966); doi:10.1038/2111093a0

Cytokinins in Ribonucleic Acids

A. R. BELLAMY

Fruit Research Division, D.S.I.R., Auckland, New Zealand.

COMPOUNDS which, like kinetin (6-furfurylaminopurine), induce cell division in certain excised plant tissues have been termed cytokinins¹. A number of synthetic substances (6-substituted purines, 1-substituted adenines and urea derivatives) show this characteristic. The most active natural cytokinin so far discovered is also a substituted purine, termed zeatin [trans-6-(4-hydroxy 3-methyl but 2-enyl) aminopurine]. This was isolated from Zea mays seeds². Other natural cytokinins, as yet unidentified, occur in many other plant tissues, but there have been no reports of the occurrence of cytokinins as natural constituents of animal tissues. This communication, however, provides evidence that compounds with cytokinin activity are natural constituents of animal soluble RNA.

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