Identification and Characterization of Linoleic Acid as an Endogenous Modulator of in Vitro N-1-Naphthylphthalamic Acid Binding

An endogenous inhibitor of the in vitro binding of the phytotropin N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid to microsomal membranes was detected in extracts prepared from etiolated pea (Pisum sativum L.) epicotyls. Following extensive purification, the inhibitor was identified as linoleic acid. Authentic linoleic acid inhibited N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid binding noncompetitively in a dose-dependent manner, exhibiting a 50% inhibitory concentration of approximately 24 ([mu]M. Using a variety of fatty acids and their derivatives, this inhibition was found to exhibit strict structural requirements, with both linoleic and linolenic acids being the most inhibitory. A variety of membrane-solubilizing detergents elicited no such inhibitory activity when tested at equivalent concentrations. The possible physiological significance of this interaction is discussed and it is proposed that linoleic acid serves as an intracellular modulator of phytotropin binding and therefore polar auxin transport.