Mating reaction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae VI. Effect of 2-deoxyglucose on conjugation

The effect of 2-deoxyglucose (2-dG) on the mating reaction ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae was investigated and the followingresults were obtained. 1) The cell fusion process of the mating reaction was completelyinhibited by 0.05% 2-dG added to a culture medium containing2% D-glucose. This inhibition was partially reversed by raisingthe glucose concentration in the medium. 2) Sexual cell agglutination was hardly affected by 2-dG. 3) 2-dG at concentrations inhibiting cell fusion considerablysuppressed the incorporation of ¹⁴C-glucose into the cell wallpolysaccharides, glucan and mannan. 4) Glucose uptake and protein synthesis were only slightly inhibitedby 2-dG. 5) No enhancement of bulk polysaccharide synthesis was detectedduring mating. ¹Present address: Biological Institute, Faculty of Science,Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464, Japan. (Received April 20, 1974; )     

Effect of concanavalin A on the mating reaction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The effect of concanavalin A (Con A) on the process of massmating of Saccharomyces cereoisiae was studied. Sexual agglutinationwas repressed by Con A at concentrations of 400 µg/mland 500 µg/ml, but zygote formation was little affectedat these concentrations. The action of Con A was antagonizedspecifically by -methyl-D-mannoside. We compared the mode ofinhibitory action on sexual agglutination of Con A with thatof agglutination substances, cell surface glycoproteins responsiblefor sexual agglutination. The agglutination substances inhibitedthe formation of small cell aggregates consisting of less thanfifty cells thought to be necessary for the formation of zygotes.Con A, on the contrary did not inhibit the formation of smallaggregates, but inhibited the formation of large cell aggregatesconsisting of more than hundred cells by interfering with thefusion of small cell aggregates. Univalent Con A inhibited isoagglutination caused by high concentrationsof native Con A. Specific binding of Con A to the cell surfacewas observed by using fluorescent Con A. A procedure to prepareunivalent Con A using Enzygel, a trypsin-Sepharose conjugantis described. ¹ On leave from Osaka City University. ² Present address: Department of Physiology, Japan Women's University,Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112, Japan. (Received March 28, 1978; )     

Some properties of shikimate: NADP oxidoreductase produced in sweet potato root tissue after slicing

The activity of shikimate: NADP oxidoreductase [EC 1. 1. 1.25] in sweet potato root tissue increased soon after slicing.Enzyme preparations obtained from both sliced tissue and fromfresh tissue probably contained a single enzyme component, andthey showed identical chromatographical behaviour. K_m values of the enzyme for NADP and shikimate were 1.0x10^–4Mand 1.3 x 10^–3M, respectively. Enzyme activity was potentlyinhibited by SH-inhibitors such as p-chloromercuribenzoate andoxidized glutathione. Enzyme activity was affected neither by mononucleotides suchas ATP, ADP and AMP, divalent cations, Mg⁺⁺, Ca⁺⁺ and Mn⁺⁺,nor by metabolites such as tryptophan, phenylalanine, tyrosineand t-cinnamic acid which are involved in aromatic compoundsyntheses. The enzyme rapidly lost its activity. This inactivation reactionshowed a time course consisting of two steps of the first-orderreaction. The inactivated enzyme preparation was not reactivatedby thiol compounds such as cysteine, 2-mercaptoethanol and glutathione,although these reagents, to a certain extent, protected theenzyme from inactivation. The results suggest that denaturationof the enzyme protein was involved in inactivation of the enzyme. ¹Part 74 of the phytopathological chemistry of sweet potatowith black rot and injury. ²Present address: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science,Tokyo Metropolitan University, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo. (Received August 5, 1968; )     

Tentoxin Inhibits Both Photophosphorylation in Thylakoids and the ATPase Activity of Isolated Coupling Factor F1 from the Cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans

Tentoxin strongly inhibited the ATPase activity of isolatedcoupling factor 1 (AF₁) from the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans,with 50% inhibition occurring at 0.3 µM. When thylakoidsfrom A. nidulans were preincubated with 0.3 µM tentoxinfor 30 min, photophosphorylation was inhibited by 50%. Measurementsof fluorescence from 9-aminoacridine indicated that tentoxininhibited the utilization of the proton gradient by ATP formationin thylakoids. These results indicate that tentoxin is a strongenergy-transfer inhibitor of photophosphorylation in A. nidulans.Tentoxin decreased the level of ATP in intact cells both inthe light and in darkness, its effects being much stronger inthe dark. Tentoxin at 50 µM strongly inhibited the growthof the cells. ³Present address: Corporate Research and Development Laboratory,Tonen Co. 1-3-1 Nishi-tsurugaoka, Ohi-machi, Saitama, 354 Japan ⁴Present address: Technology and Engineering Laboratories, AjinomotoCo., Inc. Suzuki-cho 1, Kawasaki, 210 Japan     

Gametogenesis of Chlamydomonas in the dark

When cells of each mating type of Chlamydomonas sp. (Toyonakastrain) were transferred to a nitrogen-free medium and culturedat low temperature (10?C) for 10 to 12 hr, they showed matingactivity even in the dark. The highest activity observed inthe dark, at about 10?C, was similar to that in the light at20?C. Induction in the dark was suppressed by oxygen deficiency.It was also inhibited by addition of 1 to lOmin concentrationsof nutritional nitrogen compounds such as ammonium, nitrateor urea, and of cycloheximide (2 to 20 µg/ml), but notby addition of chloramphenicol, dihydrostreptomycin or spectinomycin.On the other hand, it was slightly promoted by addition of theophylline,aminophylline, cAMP, DB-cAMP, kinetin and abscisic acid. ¹Present address: Department of Animal Virology, The ResearchInstitute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka565, Japan. (Received June 3, 1976; )     

Regulation of sexual agglutinability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae of {alpha} and {alpha} types by sex-specific factors produced by their respective opposite mating types

The sexual agglutinability of haploid cells of heterothallicSaccharomyces cerevisiae was repressed when they were culturedin the absence of easily fermentable sugars, such as glucoseand mannose. The repression was reversed by the action of hormone-likesubstances of the opposite mating types. The substance producedby mating type cells was identical to subtsance-I which isknown to induce sexual agglutinability of inducible matingtype cells. The mating type cells produce a new hormone-likesubstance which induces or enhances sexual agglutinability of mating type cells. A crude fraction of the mating type-specific substance ( substance-I)was obtained by passing the culture filtrate of mating typecells through Amberlite CG-50 (H⁺ form), followed by elutionwith 1.5 M ammonia. ² On leave from Osaka City University. (Received December 25, 1975; )     

Studies on the metabolism of a sulfur-oxidizing bacterium VII. Oxidation of sulfite by a cell-free extract of Thiobacillus thiooxidans

Properties of the cell-free extract, prepared from a strainof Thiobacillus thiooxidans by sonic disruption followed byfractionation with centrifugatiori, were investigated with referenceto its sulfite-oxidizing activity. Without the addition of cofactors the particulate fraction(F-P)catalyzed oxidation of sulfite with oxygen or bacterial cytochromec-552 obtained from Pseudomonas stutzeri as electron acceptor.TMPD reduced by ascorbic acid was also oxidized by F-P. Thesoluble fraction(F-S) showed no activity in oxidizing sulfiteand TMPD, but stimulated TMPD oxidation by F-P. Oxygen uptake with either sulfite or TMPD as substrate was inhibitedby KCN, NaN₃, CO and c-phenanthroline. CO-Inhibition was reversedby light. Reduction of cytochrome c-552 by sulfite was insensitiveto these agents. Antimycin A markedly inhibited sulfite oxidation with eitheroxygen or cytochrome c-552 as electron acceptor, but was withouteffect on TMPD oxidation. DDC and SAO, both strong inhibitors of sulfur oxidation, didnot affect sulfite and TMPD oxidations. Cytochromes of the a, b and c types were contained in F-P. Thesecytochromes were rapidly reduced when F-P was incubated withsulfite. Cytochrome(s) of the c type was present in F-S, too. ¹VI.=References (3) ²Partly supported by a grant from the Ministry of Education ³Present address: Sanyo Women's College, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima738, Japan ⁴Present address: Department of Biochemistry, Hiroshima UniversitySchool of Dentistry, Hiroshima 734, Japan (Received May 15, 1970; )     

Sodium-dependent inactivation of sodium/calcium exchange in transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells

High concentrations of cytosolic Na⁺ ions induce the time-dependent formation of an inactive state of the Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger (NCX), a process known as Na⁺-dependent inactivation. NCX activity was measured as Ca²⁺ uptake in fura 2-loaded Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells expressing the wild-type (WT) NCX or mutants that are hypersensitive (F223E) or resistant (K229Q) to Na⁺-dependent inactivation. As expected, 1) Na⁺-dependent inactivation was promoted by high cytosolic Na⁺ concentration, 2) the F223E mutant was more susceptible than the WT exchanger to inactivation, whereas the K229Q mutant was resistant, and 3) inactivation was enhanced by cytosolic acidification. However, in contrast to expectations from excised patch studies, 1) the WT exchanger was resistant to Na⁺-dependent inactivation unless cytosolic pH was reduced, 2) reducing cellular phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate levels did not induce Na⁺-dependent inactivation in the WT exchanger, 3) Na⁺-dependent inactivation did not increase the half-maximal cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration for allosteric Ca²⁺ activation, 4) Na⁺-dependent inactivation was not reversed by high cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentrations, and 5) Na⁺-dependent inactivation was partially, but transiently, reversed by an increase in extracellular Ca²⁺ concentration. Thus Na⁺-dependent inactivation of NCX expressed in CHO cells differs in several respects from the inactivation process measured in excised patches. The refractoriness of the WT exchanger to Na⁺-dependent inactivation suggests that this type of inactivation is unlikely to be a strong regulator of exchange activity under physiological conditions but would probably act to inhibit NCX-mediated Ca²⁺ influx during ischemia. ischemia; cytosolic calcium concentration; cytosolic sodium concentration; cellular phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate     

Effect of Laurie Acid on Cell Division, Macromolecular Synthesis and Membrane Lipid Organization in Escherichia coli

Laurie acid (1 mg/ml) sharply suppressed the cell division ofan acrA mutant strain of Escherichia coli K12. However, thewild type acrA^$ strain was resistant to the fatty acid. Capricacid and myristic acid were not so toxic. Laurie acid inhibitedboth DNA and protein synthesis of the acrA mutant strain, withthe former being more sensitive than the latter. On the otherhand, DNA polymerase activity of toluene-treated cells was stimulatedrather than inhibited by the presence of 1 mg/ml of lauric acid.Fatty acid composition of phospholipids in the inner membranewas largely altered by the addition of lauric acid. These resultssuggest that addition of lauric acid to the medium causes adisorganization of the membrane lipids in the acrA mutant celland activities of DNA polymerase and other intramembranous enzymesare consequently inhibited. ¹Present address: Osaka City Institute of Public Health andEnvironmental Sciences. Osaka 543, Japan. (Received January 28, 1983; Accepted November 15, 1983)     

Phenotypic Characterization and Molecular Mapping of an acaulis2 Mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana with Flower Stalks of Much Reduced Length

An acaulis2-1 (acl2-1) mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh.was isolated and characterized. The mutant had inflorescencesof much reduced length. The defect was severer in lower internodesand was visible preferentially in type 2 metamers. The defectin the elongation of internodal cells of inflorescences wasattributable to a defect in the mechanism for elongation ofthese cells. The cortical microtubules (MTs) were analyzed inthe acl2 mutant, in a comparison with those of an acl1 mutantwhich was described earlier, but no changes were detected inamounts of MTs. In the type 2 and type 3 metamers, the defectin elongation in acl mutants was loosely correlated with a changein the orientation of MTs. Thus, the abnormal arrangement ofMTs appears to be one of the pleiotropic effects of acaulismutations. Genetic mapping was performed using molecular markers and theACL2 gene was located at 100 map units on chromosome 1. ¹Present address: Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences,The University of Tokyo, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113 Japan ²Present address: Division of Biological Sciences, GraduateSchool of Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060Japan     

Pyridoxal 5-phosphate, Phenyl Phosphate and Acetyl Phosphate, as Inhibitors of Photophosphorylation Competitive with Phosphate

Pyridoxal 5-phosphate, phenyl phosphate and acetyl phosphate,as well as rß-naphthyl monophosphate, inhibited photophosphorylationof spinach chloroplasts competitively with P_i and noncompetitivelywith ADP. The apparent dissociation constant of the inhibitor-enzymecomplex (K_i) values of pyridoxal 5-phosphate, phenyl phosphateand acetyl phosphate for the P_i site were 1.1, 3.8 and 2.4 _mM,respectively. These organic phosphates inhibited Ca²⁺-ATPaseof the isolated coupling factor 1 (CF₁) (EC 3.6.1.3 [EC] ) noncompetitivelywith ATP. AMP, creatine phosphate, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate,glucose 6-phosphate, 3-phosphoglyceric acid, ribose 5-phosphateand PP_i did not significantly inhibit photophosphorylation.Like rß-naphthyl monophosphate, pyridoxal 5-phosphateand phenyl phosphate inhibited photophosphorylation and thecoupled electron transport, but were almost without effect onthe basal electron transport. On the other hand, acetyl phosphateconsiderably inhibited photophosphorylation, but had almostno effect on the coupled electron transport rate and the basalrate. The results suggest that these organic phosphates inhibitphotophosphorylation by binding at the P_i site on the activecenter of CF₁ and that their binding inhibits the ATPase activityof isolated CF₁. These four organic phosphates which inhibited photophosphorylationcompetitively with Pi could not substitute for ADP or ATP ininhibiting ferricyanide photoreduction by decreasing H⁺-permeabilitythrough CF₁ and in protecting the ATPase of isolated CF₁ againstcold-anion inactivation. ¹ This work was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid for ScientificResearch from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture,Japan to H.S. (Received May 25, 1981; Accepted September 28, 1981)     

Effect of Intracellular ATP Levels on the Light-Induced H+ Efflux from Intact Cells of Cyanidium caldarium

The light-induced H⁺ efflux observed at acidic pH in Cyanidiumcells was shown to be an active H⁺ transport depending on theintracellular ATP produced by cyclic photo-phosphorylation.Triton X-100 was found to act as an effective uncoupler in intactCyanidium cells without collapsing the pH gradient across theplasma membrane. Triton X-100 at 0.015% significantly reducedthe intracellular ATP levels, stimulated the p-BQ, Hill reactionand completely inhibited the light-induced H⁺ efflux. Inhibitionof the H⁺ efflux by Triton X-100 correlated well with the depressionof the apparent rale of light-induced ATP synthesis as wellas the decrease in the intracellular ATP level in light. The light-induced H⁺ efflux was completely inhibited by diethylstilbestrol,a specific inhibitor of plasma membrane ATPase, without anychanges in the intracellular ATP level, thereby suggesting theparticipation of the plasma membrane ATPase in the light-inducedH⁺ efflux. ¹The data in this paper are included in the Ph. D. dissertationsubmitted by M. Kura-Hotta to Tokyo Metropolitan University. (Received February 3, 1984; Accepted June 14, 1984)     

Trifluralin and root growth

Trifluralin inhibited root elongation and induced root tip swellingof Zea mays and Triticum aeslivum. Time-course experiments showedthese effects occurred within 6 hr of treatment. As the rootstreated with trifluralin enlarged, there was a concomitant increasein root growth inhibition. Bioassays were devised to quantitativelymeasure the radial enlargement of trifluralin-treated roots.Histological observations indicated that swollen root tissuewas growing in a non-polar manner. The root swelling effectof trifluralin was inhibited 70% by the reducing agent, 2,3-dimercaptopropanol.Trifluralin had no effect on SH content of root tip proteinof Z.mays. ¹ Published with the approval of the Director of die West VirginiaAgricultural Experiment Station as Scientific paper No. 1177. ² Present address: Department of Biology, Mercyhurst College,Erie, Pennsylvania 16501, U.S.A. (Received March 19, 1971; )     

PEP Carboxylases from Two C4 Species of Panicum with Markedly Different Susceptibilities to Cold Inactivation

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) (EC 4.1.1.31 [EC] ) assayedin extracts of Panicum maximum Jacq. loses up to 50% of itsactivity after incubation for 60 minutes at 0C while the enzymefrom P. miliaceum L. is completely stable under these conditions.Following dilution at room temperature the enzyme from P. maximumis labile, while that from P. miliaceum is stable. The P. maximumenzyme can be largely stabilized against dilution and againstcold-inactivation by D₂O which stabilizes hydrophobic bondsand the compatible solutes proline, betaine and trimethylamine-N-oxide.Mineral ions, previously demonstrated to be protective againstcold inactivation of pyruvate, P_i dikinase from maize, provideno protection of P. maximum PEPC against either cold or dilution.The chaotropic ion SCN^- causes partial inactivation of the enzymefrom P. miliaceum in the cold. The possible interrelationshipbetween inactivation by dilution and inactivation by cold isdiscussed. The enzyme from both species, when assayed withoutpreincubation at low temperature, exhibits similar, slightlycurvilinear Arrhenius plots; and no differences were found betweenthe two species in the temperature dependence of photosynthesis. ¹Present address: Botany Dept., University of California, DavisCA 95616 U.S.A.     

Mating type specific induction of cell wall lytic factor by agglutination of gametes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

When mt⁺ and mt^– gametes of Chlamydomonas reinhardtiiwere mixed, shedding of cell walls took place in both matingtypes during massive agglutination and/or pairing. This wascaused by a cell wall lytic factor that had been induced byflagellar agglutination and excreted into the medium by cellsconcurrently with their cell wall release. When glutaraldehyde-fixed gametes and isolated flagella of onemating type caused isoagglutination of live gametes of the othermating type, the live mt⁺ gametes induced the lytic factor andshed their walls, whereas none of the live mt^– did this.The cell walls of mt^– gametes were lost only when thelytic factor, which had been excreted by mt⁺ gametes into themedium, acted from the outside. These data imply that mt⁺ gametesare responsible for the induction of the lytic factor by agglutination,which acts on cell walls of both mating types either endogenouslyor exogenously. (Received February 28, 1978; )     

A Mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana That Defines a New Locus for Glycine Decarboxylation

A novel photorespiratory mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana, designatedgld2, was isolated based on a growth requirement for abnormallyhigh levels of atmospheric CO₂. Photosynthetic CO₂ fixationwas inhibited in the mutant following illumination in air butnot in atmosphere containing 2% O₂. Photosynthetic assimilationof ¹⁴CO₂ in an atmosphere containing 50% O₂ resulted in accumulationof 48% of the soluble label in glycine in the mutant comparedto 9% in the wild type. The rate of glycine decarboxylationby isolated mitochondria from the mutant was reduced to 6% ofthe wild type rate. In genetic crosses, the mutant complementedtwo previously described photorespiratory mutants of A. thalianathat accumulate glycine during photosynthesis in air due todefects in glycine decarboxylase (glyD, now designated gld1)and serine transhydroxymethylase (stm). Because glycine decarboxylaseis a complex of four enzymes, these results are consistent witha mutation in a glycine decarboxylase subunit other than thataffected in the gld1 mutant. The two gld loci were mapped tochromosomes 2 and 5, respectively. ³Present address: Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, MichiganState University, East Lansing, MI 48824, U.S.A. ⁴Present address: Department of Applied Bioscience, Facultyof Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Kita-Ku, Sapporo, 060 Japan ⁵Present address: Department of Biology, Carnegie Institutionof Washington, 290 Panama Street, Standford, CA 94305, U.S.A.     

Glutamine synthesis in germinating seeds of Cucurbita moschata

During germination, an increase in glutamine and glutamine synthetase[L-glutamate: ammonia ligase (ADP), EC 6.3.1.2 [EC] ] occurred inthe cotyledons reaching a maximum at 4 to 6 days. The enzymehad a Km of 4.5 nun for L-glutamate, and 0.67 mu for hydroxylamine.Hydroxylamine exhibited substrate inhibition kinetics. The enzymewas inhibited by calcium ion, fluoride ion and p-hydroxymercuribenzoatebut not by EDTA, sodium ion or chloride ion. The sulf hydrylinhibition was reversed by dithiothreitol. In vivo synthesisof glutamine-¹⁴C from glutamate-¹⁴C was found to parallel theincrease in glutamine content and the in vitro glutamine synthetaseactivity during germination. ¹ Present address: Department of Biology, Mercyhurst College,Erie, Pennsylvania 16501, U.S.A. (Received June 12, 1971; )     

Separation and Partial Characterization of Membranes from Prochloron sp.

Two differently colored membrane preparations were separatedfrom the prochlorophyte, Prochloron sp., by mechanical disintegrationof the cells followed by sucrose density gradient centrifugation.An orange-colored preparation, containing zeaxanthin as themajor constituent pigment, seemed to comprise the cytoplasmicmembrane. The other green-colored membrane preparation, containingß-carotene and chlorophyll a and b as major pigmentconstituents, was identified as the thylakoid membrane. Thetwo types of membranes were compared as to their absorptionspectra and buoyant densities. ¹ This work is one of the results of the 8th International Expeditionon Prochloron organized by Dr. R. A. Lewin, University of Californiaat San Diego. ⁵ Present address: Solar Energy Research Group, The Algatron,The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), Wako-shi,Saitama 351, Japan. ⁶ Present address: National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki444, Japan. (Received October 19, 1984; Accepted January 7, 1985)     

Enzymes involved in the last steps of the biosynthesis of mannitol in brown algae

Mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.17 [EC] ) and mannitol-1-phosphatase(EC number yet unassigned) were detected in the brown algae,Spatoglossum pacificum and Dictyota dichotoma. The enzymes wereextracted from algal fronds and their properties were investigatedusing partially purified preparations. Mannitol-1-phosphatase shows maximum activity at pH 7. The enzymehad a narrow substrate specificity. The Km value for mannitol-1-phosphateis 8.3x10^–4 M (30°C, pH 7.0). The enzyme is activatedby Mg⁺⁺ and Mn⁺⁺and is strongly inhibited by PCMB, Hg⁺⁺and NaF. Mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase showed maximum activitiesat pH values 6.5 and 10.2 in reductive and oxidative reactions,respectively. The dehydrogenase also showed narrow substratespecificity; mannitol-1-phosphate and NAD or fructose-6-phosphateand NADH₂ are utilized, respectively, in oxidative and reductivereactions by the enzyme. Km values for these substrates andthe coenzymes are 2.5x10^–4 M and 7.1x10^–5 M forthe first pair and 2.8x10^–4 M and 1.3x10^–5 M forthe latter pair. This enzyme was strongly inhibited by PCMBand Hg⁺⁺, but was only slightly affected by adenosine phosphates. Possible roles of these enzymes in the biosynthesis of mannitolin brown algae are discussed. ¹ Contributions from the Shimoda Marine Biological Station ofTokyo Kyoiku University, No. 233. This work was supported inpart by a Grant-in-Aid for Co-operative Research from the Ministryof Education, Japan and in part by a grant to one of us (T.Ikawa) from the Matsunaga Science Foundation. ² Present address: Chemical and Physical Laboratory, HoechstJapan Research Laboratory, Minamidai, Kawagoe, Japan. (Received February 22, 1972; )     

CHANGE OF B-TYPE HAEM CONTENT IN RELATION TO PEROXIDASE BIOSYNTHESIS IN INJURED SWEET POTATO ROOTS

The methods of quantitative analysis of b-type haem in plantswere investigated. With an improved method developed was determinedthe haem content in the supernatant, mitochondrial, and microsomalfractions of sweet potato tissue. The activities of peroxidase,catalase, and cytochrome oxidase, as well as the contents ofb-type haem and acid-insoluble nitrogen in the cellular fractionswere determined at different incubation times after cuttingof sweet potato tissue. Peroxidase and catalase increased withtime in each celluler fraction, following a short lag phase.In the mitochondrial fraction, b-type haem, cytochrome oxidase,and acid insoluble nitrogen increased linearly with time. Inthe microsomal and supernatant fraction, b-type haem increasedwith time following a short lag phase. The increase in haemcontent of the supernatant fraction appeared to be associatedwith peroxidase formation. Time course analysis showed that ⁵⁹Fe-incorporation into b-typehaem of the supernatant fraction increased with time and thatincorporation was markedly inhibited by blasticidin S. The incorporationof ⁵⁹Fe into mitochondrial haem did not increase with time andwas not inhibited by blasticidin S. Blasticidin S inhibited⁵⁹Fe-incorporation into microsomal haem. Time course analysisof b-type haem content, ⁵⁹Fe-incorporation into b-type haem,and peroxidase activity suggest that in the injured tissue haemis synthesized from low molecular weight compounds and is incorporatedinto peroxidase as the haem moiety. ¹ This paper constitutes Part 57 of the Phytopathological Chemistryof Sweet Potato with Black Rot. ² Present address: Institute for Plant Virus Research, Chiba.