Rubber Biosynthesis in Latex of Hevea brasiliensis.

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Abstract
Incubation of C14-labeled acetate, pyruvate or B-methylcrotonate with latex of Hevea brasiliensis leads to the incorporation of radioactivity into rubber. This in vitro synthesis is dependent upon latex enzyme concentration and is stimulated by the addition of a co-factor mixture containing sucrose, adenosine triphosphate, coenzyme A, diphosphopyridine nucleotide, magnesium, fructose diphosphate and potassium phosphate. The specific activities of rubber isolated as rubber, or as the rubber bromide, or as the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone of levulinic acid obtained by ozonolysis of the biosynthesized rubber are the same, indicating that the radioactivity is, in fact, in rubber.