Accumulation of scopoletin glucoside in boron-deficient tobacco leaves

Abstract Isopropyl alcohol-water extracts of tobacco leaves yielded a blue-fluorescent compound that was identified as the glucoside of scopoletin (6-met hoxy-7-hydroxycoumarin). Leaves of boron-deficient plants produced a twenty-fold increase of this material over leaves of normal plants. The possible role of boron in lignin biosynthesis is pointed out on the basis that certain phenolic compounds that may serve as lignin precursors accumulate in boron-deficient plants.