Light Actions in the Germination of Cocklebur Seeds: V. EFFECTS OF ETHYLENE, CARBON DIOXIDE AND OXYGEN ON GERMINATION IN RELATION TO LIGHT

Esashi, Y., Hase, S. and Kojima, K. 1987. Light actions in thegermination of cocklebur seeds. V. Effects of ethylene, carbondioxide and oxygen on germination in relation to light.–J.exp. Bot. 38: 702–710. Effects of ethylene, CO² and O² on the germination of after-ripenedupper cocklebur (Xanthium pennsylvanicum Wallr.) seeds wereexamined in relation to pre-irradiation by red (R) or far-red(FR) light In order to remove the pre-existing Pfr, seeds weresoaked in the dark for various periods prior to light irradiationand gas treatments. Regardless of light, 0.3 Pa C₂H₄ promotedgermination at 23 ?C, but it strongly inhibited germinationwhen applied at 33 ?C, the optimal temperature for the germinationof this seed. However, delayed application of C₂H₄ during 33?C incubation stimulated germination independently of lightin a similar manner to that seen at 23 ?C. It is, therefore,suggested that the germination-regulating action of C2H4 iscompletely independent of phytochrome. In contrast, the germination-promoting effect of 3–0 kPaCO₂ was pronounced only when the seeds were previously irradiatedby R, regardless of temperature, suggesting that CO₂ actionto promote germination depends upon Pfr. A synergism betweenCO₂ and C₂H₄ at 23 ?C was observed only in the germination ofseeds pre-irradiated by R, while at 33 ?C an antagonism occurredindependently of light. The stimulation of C₂H₄ production byCO₂ was most striking in the cotyledonary tissue pre-irradiatedby R. However, the R-dependent enhancement of CO₂-stimulatedC₂H₄ production was negated by the subsequent FR and it wasnot found in the presence of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylicacid (ACC). Moreover, the R dependency of the germination-promotingCO₂ effect disappeared in the presence of C₂H₄. The R-dependentC₂H₄ production enhanced by CO₂ may thus be involved, at leastpartially, in some step of conversion from methionine to ACC. The germination-promoting effect of C₂H₄, but not CO₂, was enhancedby O₂ enrichment regardless of light. However, the germination-promotingeffect of pure O₂ itself appeared to depend upon pre-irradiationwith R Key words: Carbon dioxide, cocklebur seed, ethylene, far-red light, germination, oxygen, red light, Xanthium pennsyloanicum     

Enzymatic synthesis of isopentenyl pyrophosphate in sweet potato root tissue in response to infection by black rot fungus

Cell-free systems were prepared from fresh, cut and black rot-diseasedtissues of sweet potato roots. When incubated in the presenceof mevalonate, all these systems were capable of synthesizing5-phosphomevalonate, mevalonate-5-pyrophosphate and isopentenylpyrophosphate. The time courses for the appearance of the ¹⁴C-labeledmetabolites suggested the following order of synthesis: mevalonate 5-phosphomevalonate mevalonate-5-pyrophosphate isopentenylpyrophosphate. It was also shown; on prolonged incubation, thatisopentenyl pyrophosphate was converted slowly to isopentenylmonophosphate. The activity for synthesis of isopentenyl pyrophosphatefrom mevalonate was higher in diseased tissue than in cut andhealthy tissues. ¹This paper constitutes Part 78 of the Phytopathological Chemistryof Sweet Potato with Black Rot and Injury. (Received June 18, 1969; )     

Induction of nitrate and nitrite reductases in Anabaena cylindrica

Induction of nitrate and nitrite reductases in Anabaena cylindrica(FOGG strain) was investigated. At various stages of algal growthin the presence of nitrate or nitrite, the levels of these enzymeswere determined using cell-free preparations. Nitrate and nitritereductases were induced by the respective substrates. Nitratedid not act either as an inducer or as a repressor of nitritereductase. ¹This work was supported by grant No. 8814 from the Ministryof Education ²Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Tokyo MetropolitanUniversitySetagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (Received June 18, 1970; )     

The mechanism supplying acetyl-CoA for terpene biosynthesis in sweet potato with black rot: Incorporation of acetate-2-14C, pyruvate-3-14C and citrate-2,4-14C into ipomeamarone

Silica gel thin layer chromatography showed that acetate-2-¹⁴C,pyruvate-3-¹⁴C and citrate-2,4-¹⁴C were incorporated into ipomeamaronein sweet potato root tissues infected by Ceratocystis fimbriata.Rates of incorporation of ¹⁴C, from these 3 substances, intothe CHCl³-CH₃OH-soluble lipid fraction and ipomeamarone wereof the followingder: acetate > pyruvate > citrate ¹This paper constitutes Part 82 of the Phytopathological Chemistryof Sweet Potato with Black Rot and Injury (Received December 11, 1969; )     

A STUDY ON VARIETAL DIFFERENCE IN FLOWERING HABITS OF SOYBEAN PLANTS AS FOLLOWED BY GRAFTING EXPERIMENTS

The material basis of varietal differences in flowering habitwas investigated from the standpoint that flowering is determinedby the balance in amounts of flowering promotor and inhibitor.The grafting method was used throughout the experiments. Late variety of Glycine max L. seems to produce flowering inhibitor(or inhibitors) under the conditions under which midseason varietyproduces flower. Early variety seems to produce flowering hormonewhich overcomes the flower-inhibiting action in the late variety. The amounts of flowering hormone produced under short day conditionbymidseason and late varieties were compared. The results showthat, under the short day condition, the midseason variety producesequal or smaller amounts of flowering hormone as compared withthe late variety. On the basis of these results, the mechanismby which the flowering habits are determined in various varietiesof soybean plants was discussed. (Received June 18, 1962; )     

INDUCTION OF THE ACROSOME REACTION ON THE EGG SURFACE OF DE-JELLIED SEA URCHIN EGGS BEFORE AND AFTER FERTILIZATION*

The capacity of the surface of sea urchin eggs to induce the acrosome reaction was assayed by estimating the rate of acrosome reaction of supernumerary spermatozoa in the presence of variously treated eggs before and after fertilization. DTT-disruption of the vitelline coat did not eliminate the acrosome reaction-inducing capacity. This capacity was retained after fertilization in eggs of both H. pulcherrimus and A. crassispina. The acrosome reaction-inducing capacity of the eggs was markedly decreased by treatment with trypsin. The low capacity of the trypsin-treated eggs was maintained after fertilization in H. pulcherrimus, but in A. crassispina the capacity returned to the pre-trypsin treatment level after fertilization. Fertilized eggs from which the fertilization membrane was mechanically removed retained the inducing capacity to a considerable extent, independent of the presence or absence of the hyaline layer, but the capacity diminished rapidly as cleavage proceeded. It was concluded from these data that the acrosome reaction of spermatozoa actually occurred at the surface of de-jellied eggs and that the inducing substance resides in the plasma membrane in addition to the fertilization membrane. A chemical difference between the inducing substance of egg surface and jelly substance is discussed.     

Respiratory aspects of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa

The absorption spectrum of intact cels of Rhodotorula mucilaginosaexhibits three absorption peaks for carotenoids and a Soretband for cytochrome(s). The difference spectrum between thereduced and oxidized states indicates there are components ofcytochrome b, c(c₁) and a+a₃. However, the respiratory aspectof this strain differs significantly from that of baker's yeast,Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The respiratory capacity is strikinglyenhanced in the transition from the lag to the logarithmic phaseof growth, and is accompanied with a special increase in cytochromeoxidase. Addition of TMPD (plus ascorbate) in the presence ofglucose barely affects oxygen consumption of the cells duringthis period, whereas it markedly affects consumption in oldercells. Sodium azide slightly inhibits respiration in the courseof growth, except during this limited transitional period. Azide-insensitiverespiration is also seen in the mitochondrial fraction preparedfrom cells grown to the stationary state. A similar situationis found with antimycin A. Morphological investigations were carried out electron-microscopicallyon the cells of different growth stages. (Received September 16, 1969; )     

CARDIAC MUSCLE CELL DIFFERENTIATION IN VITRO FROM A CHARACTERISTIC CELL LINE ISOLATED FROM MOUSE TERATOCARCINOMA

A characteristic in vitro cell line, SEBIII, was isolated from the mouse teratocarcinoma OTT6050. The SEBIII line, which maintains the structure of the embryoid body, grows rapidly in suspension culture. The chromosome number is near diploid. SEBIII cells, which were transferred to the peritoneal cavity of 129/Sv strain mice and left for one week, differentiated into several tissues in the subsequent in vitro culture. Of the tissues differentiated, the most dominant was the spontaneously pulsating muscle cells. Electron microscopic observations of these muscle cells revealed the presence of myofilaments with Z bands and intercalated disks. The nature of the factor(s) which induce the differentiation of SEBIII EB into cardiac muscle cells is discussed.     

INDUCTION OF MYOCARDIOGENESIS FROM MOUSE TERATOCARCINOMA

Cells of the isolated embryoid body line, SEBIlI, differentiate predominantly into pulsating cardiac muscle cells in vitro , after intraperitoneal passage before the cells are transferred into the culture medium. Quantitative analysis of myocardiogenesis in vitro revealed that the intraperitoneal passage induces myocardiogenesis in the embryoid bodies, while culturing in vitro after the passage is related to the occurrence of spontaneous pulsation which is the phenotypic expression of cardiac muscles. The possibility that this teratocarcinoma system offers a way of studying the control mechanism operating in normal embryonic myocardiogenesis is discussed.