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Originally published in Science Express on 8 July 2004
Science 13 August 2004:
Vol. 305. no. 5686, p. 977
DOI: 10.1126/science.1099944
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Brevia

A Compound from Smoke That Promotes Seed Germination

Gavin R. Flematti,1* Emilio L. Ghisalberti,1 Kingsley W. Dixon,2,3 Robert D. Trengove4

Exposure of seeds to aerosol smoke or crude smoke extracts stimulates the germination of a number of fire-dependent and fire-independent plant species. We now report the identity of a germination-promoting compound present in plant- and cellulose-derived smoke. The structure of this compound, deduced from spectroscopic analysis and confirmed by synthesis, was shown to be that of the butenolide 3-methyl-2H-furo[2,3-c]pyran-2-one (1). Here we show that 1 promotes germination of a number of plant species at a level similar to that observed with plant-derived smoke water.

1 School of Biomedical and Chemical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
2 School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
3 Kings Park and Botanic Garden, West Perth, WA 6005, Australia.
4 School of Engineering Science, Murdoch University, Rockingham, WA 6168, Australia.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: gflematt{at}chem.uwa.edu.au

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Karrikins Discovered in Smoke Trigger Arabidopsis Seed Germination by a Mechanism Requiring Gibberellic Acid Synthesis and Light.
D. C. Nelson, J.-A. Riseborough, G. R. Flematti, J. Stevens, E. L. Ghisalberti, K. W. Dixon, and S. M. Smith (2009)
Plant Physiology 149, 863-873
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Ecophysiology of Seed Dormancy in the Australian Endemic Species Acanthocarpus preissii (Dasypogonaceae).
S. R. TURNER, D. J. MERRITT, E. C. RIDLEY, L. E. COMMANDER, J. M. BASKIN, C. C. BASKIN, and K. W. DIXON (2006)
Ann. Bot. 98, 1137-1144
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Aerosol Smoke and Smoke-Water Stimulation of Seedling Vigor of a Commercial Maize Cultivar.
S. G. Sparg, M. G. Kulkarni, and J. van Staden (2006)
Crop Sci. 46, 1336-1340
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Ground layer carbon and nitrogen cycling and legume nitrogen inputs following fire in mixed pine forests.
S. D. Lajeunesse, J. J. Dilustro, R. R. Sharitz, and B. S. Collins (2006)
Am. J. Botany 93, 84-93
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The Changing Window of Conditions that Promotes Germination of Two Fire Ephemerals, Actinotus leucocephalus (Apiaceae) and Tersonia cyathiflora (Gyrostemonaceae).
K. S. BAKER, K. J. STEADMAN, J. A. PLUMMER, D. J. MERRITT, and K. W. DIXON (2005)
Ann. Bot. 96, 1225-1236
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