Effects of wounding on the terpene content of twigs of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.)

After wounding the cortical tissues of twigs of Pinus pinaster, we investigated changes in diterpene resin acid content and the ultrastructural modification of secretory structures. There was an increase in total resin acid content in the cortical and woody tissues located near the wound. Not all resin acids responded in the same way, but in wounded tissues the amounts of isopimaric acid and of the group of dehydroabietic, levopimarie and palustric acids significantly increased. The composition of cortical tissues becomes closely related to that of woody tissues. The resin acid enrichment of cortical tissues is correlated with the reactivation of the epithelial cells of the resin ducts and the de novo synthesis of resin acids demonstrated by labelling with (14)CO(2).