The Enzymic Synthesis of Rubber

Abstract

Studies of the mechanism of biosynthesis of rubber in seedlings and cultured tissues of guayule have established that the carbon of the isoprenoid chain can be derived exclusively from acetate, and flax enzyme preparations have indicated that the branched chain acids, β-methyl crotonic acid and β-methyl-β- hydroxyglutaric acid are probably intermediates in the formation of the basic isoprenoid unit. However, the requirement for intact plants or tissue cultures has made detailed studies of the biosynthesis of rubber difficult. We have now observed that incubation of C¹⁴-labelled acetate results in the incorporation of radioactivity into rubber.