Influence of Temperature on Sterol Biosynthesis in Triticum aestivum

Sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, and cholesterol were isolated from green wheat (Triticium aestivum var. Monon) seedlings. Sitosterol was the predominant sterol extracted from the shoot, root, and crown tissue. Cholesterol accounted for less that 1% of sterol in shoot tissue with only trace amounts in the root. A temperature change from 10 to 1 C resulted in a general decrease in sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol in the shoot tissue. The cholesterol level was not altered significantly by the temperature change. The sterols in the root responded in a manner very different from those in the shoots. With the reduction in temperature, sterols first decreased and then recovered over a period of 7 to 14 days to levels that were equal to or exceeded the original levels. From these experiments, it would appear that root tissue can acclimate to the lower temperatures and continue sterol synthesis at the normal rate. The level and response of sterols in the crown tissue were intermediate between the root and shoot tissue. At 10 C the crown response was similar to that of root tissue, whereas, at 1 C the response more closely resembled that of the shoot.