Quantal Response of Fruit and Seed Germination Rate in Quercus robur L. and Castanea sativa Mill, to Constant Temperatures and Photon Dose

A linear relationship between constant temperatures in the sub-optimaltemperature range and germination rate is shown in both Quercusrobur L and Castanea sativa Mill germinated under nominal darkconditions. The mean base temperature was interpolated for Qrobur as 0 8 ? or 2-4 ?, depending on seed lot provenance, andfor C. sativa as 1 -4? The optimum temperature for germinationin Q. robur was about 20? compared with around 28 ? in C. sativaOver the sub-optimal temperature range the distribution of thermaltimes was log-normal for each population studied their spreadvarying both between Q robur seed lots and between species However,in C. sativa germinated close to the mean base temperature,the distribution in thermal times was reduced Thermal timesto germination were decreased in Q. robur and C sativa by approximately0 3 and 0-5 log-units, respectively, when the pericarp was removed,i.e in the seeds, but the sensitivity of the response remainedrelatively unaltered In both species the germination rate was the same when nominaldark or safe green light conditions were employed during thegermination test. However, at 21 ? Q robur exhibited the highirradiance reaction (HIR) at photon doses above 30mmol m^–2d^–1. HIR first affected the germination rate by an inhibitionof radicle extension The sensitivity of the response to thermaltime was reduced as photon dose increased. This photo-inhibitionwas exacerbated at supra-optimal temperatures. In contrast,C. sativa germination rate at 26 ? was little influenced bylight at a photon dose of 752 mmol m^–2 d^–1 Key words: Seed germination rate, temperature, thermal time, light, photon dose     

Quantal Response of Seed Germination in Seven Genera of Cruciferae to White Light of Varying Photon Flux Density and Photoperiod

The response of the germination of seeds of Barbarea vema (Mill.)Aschers, Brassica chinensis L., Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.& Coss., Brassica oleracea L. var. gongylodes L., Camelinasaliva (L.) Crantz, Eruca saliva Mill., Lepidium sativum L.,Nasturtium officinale R. Br., and Rorippa palustris (L.) Besserto white fluorescent light of different photon flux densitiesapplied for different daily durations in a diurnal alternatingtemperature regime of 20 °C/30 °C (16 h/8 h) was quantifiedby linear relations between probit percentage germination andthe logarithm of photon dose, the product of photon flux densityand duration. The low energy reaction, in which increasing dosepromotes germination, was detected in all the seed populationsbut in Barbarea vema and Brassica Juncea the lowest photon doseapplied (10^–5–2 and 10^{–5 7} mol m^–2 d^–1,respectively) was sufficient to saturate the response. Comparisons,where possible, between photoperiods demonstrated reciprocity,i.e. germination was proportional to photon dose irrespectiveof photoperiod, for the low energy reaction in Brassica oleracea(1 min d^–1 to 1 h d^–1), Camelina saliva (1 min d^–1to 8 h d^–1), Eruca saliva (1 min d^–1 to 24 h d^–1),Lepidium sativum (I min d^–1 to 8 h d^–1) and Rorippapalustris (1 min d^–1 to 8 h d^–1), but not in Brassicachinensis and Nasturtium officinale. The high irradiance reaction,in which increasing dose inhibits germination, was detectedin Barbarea vema, Brassica chinensis, Brassica juncea, Brassicaoleracea, and Camelina saliva. The minimum dose at which inhibitionwas detected was lO^–0–3 mol m^–2 d^–1.These results are discussed in the context of devising optimallight regimes for laboratory tests intended to maximize germination The response of germination to photon dose was also quantifiedwith 3 x 10^–4 M GA₂, co-applied (Brassica chinensis, Camelinasaliva, and Lepidium sativum) and with 2 x 10^–2 M potassiumnitrate co-applied (Brassica chinensis). In the latter casepotassium nitrate had no effect in the dark and inhibited germinationin the light, but GA₂, promoted germination substantially inall three species. Variation amongst seeds in the minimum photondose required to stimulate germination was not affected by co-applicationof GA₂, in Brassica chinensis and Camelina saliva, whereas seedsof Lepidium salivum showed a narrower distribution of sensitivitiesto the low energy reaction in the presence of GA₂ Barbarea vema (Mill.) Aschers, Brassica chinensis L., Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. & Coss., Brassica oleracea L. var. gongylodes L., Camelina saliva (L.) Crantz, Eruca saliva Mill., Lepidium satiaum L., Nasturtium officinale R. Br., Rorippa palustris (L.) Besser, Cruciferae, light, gibberellic acid, seed germination, seed dormancy     

Response of Seed Germination in Three Genera of Compositae to White Light of Varying Photon Flux Density and Photoperiod

Various photon doses (net number of photons per unit area perday), provided by varying both photon flux density and photoperiod,were applied to imbibing seeds of seven lots of four speciesof Compositae in various germination test regimes. In all fourspecies germination was dependent upon photon dose, the productof photon flux density and daily duration of exposure. The responsewas quantified by linear relations between the probit of percentagegermination and the logarithm of photon dose. In general, photonflux density and photoperiod only influenced the stimulationof germination by the low energy reaction indirectly (as factorsof daily photon dose), whereas there was a tendency for photoperiodto have a direct influence on the inhibition of germinationby the high irradiance reaction. Reducing the germination testtemperature from 25?C to 20?C and 15?C not only increased thedark germination of L. sativa L., but also broadened the photondose range at which full germination occurred by reducing theminimum value necessary for the germination of the most dormantseeds, and increasing the maximum value which failed to inhibitthe germination of any seeds. Differences between L. sativaand L. serriola L. in the response of germination to white lightwere only quantitative, rather than qualitative. The singlemost promotory dose for all four species was 3 ? 10^–3mol m^–2 d^–1, although the inhibitory action of dosesup to 10– mol m– d– was generally only slight. Key words: Light, seed germination, seed dormancy, Compositae     

The effect of fermentation on the growth and survival ofSalmonella typhimurium,Staphylococcus aureus,Bacillus cereus andPseudomonas aeruginosa in fermenting tef (Eragrostis tef)

Summary Growth ofSalmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus andPseudomonas aeruginosa was inhibited when the pH of fermenting tef approached 5.0, 5.0, 5.5 and 5.0, respectively. However the test organisms grew in far more acidic conditions in broth than in fermenting tef and this is due to antimicrobial substance(s) being produced by some of the lactic acid bacteria. Except forBacillus cereus spores, all the test organisms were heat-inactivated during the baking process of the final tef injera.

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Effet de la fermentation sur la croissance et la survie de Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus et Pseudomonas aeruginosa dans le tef (Eragrostis tef) en fermentation

Résumé La croissance deSalmonella typhimurium, deStaphylococcus aureus, deBacillus cereus et dePseudomonas aeruginosa est inhibée lorsque les pH du tef en fermentation approchent respectivement 5:0, 5.0, 5.5 et 5.0. Toutefois, les organismes tests croissent dans des conditiones bien plus acides que dans le tef en fermentation. Ceci est dû à des substances antimicrobiennes produites par certaines bactéries lactiques. A l'exception des spores deBacillus cereus, tous les organismes tests sont inactivés par la chaleur durant le processus de cuisson.

     

In Silico Approach for Unraveling the Structural and Functional Roles of NF-X1-Like Proteins in Underutilized Cereal Eragrostis tef

Biology Bulletin - Eragrostis tef is a increasingly becoming popular in different parts of the world as cereal due to its wide acceptability in extreme environmental conditions where most other...     

The Interactive Effects of Phytochrome, Nitrate and Thiourea on the Germination Response to Alternating Temperatures in Seeds of Ranunculus sceleratus L.: A Quantal Approach

Probert, R. J., Gajjar, K. H. and Haslam, I. K. 1987. The interactiveeffects of phytochrome, nitrate and thiourea on the germinationresponse to alternating temperatures in seeds of Ranunculussceleratus L.: A quantal approach.—J. exp. Bot. 38: 1012–1025. The interactive effects of phytochrome, potassium nitrate andthiourea on the germination response to alternating temperaturesin achenes (seeds) of Ranunculus sceleratus L. were studied.Using thermogradient bars, high levels of germination were recordedover a broad range of alternating temperatures providing seedsreceived daily irradiations. Reduced germination in temperaturecycles with a relatively long warm phase was related to thelevel of the active form of phytochrome (Pfr). Dose-responseexperiments to red light (R) and temperature shifts showed thatthe actions of Pfr and alternating temperatures were interdependent.Maximum germination was recorded when intermittent pulses ofR were combined with daily 4 h temperature shifts from 16°Cto 26°C. Whilst probit analysis showed that potassium nitrateand thiourea both increased population sensitivity to temperatureshifts, thiourea was a more potent stimulant. Although the effectof both chemicals was dependent on phytochrome photo-equilibriumthe threshold level of Pfr required for thiourea action wasclearly much lower than that required for nitrate action. Thioureapotentiated a response to daily temperature shifts even whenPfr was at a low, normally inhibitory level. These results indicatedifferent mechanisms of action for potassium nitrate and thioureain relation to phytochrome controlled seed germination. Key words: Phytochrome, nitrate, thiourea, alternating temperatures, germination     

Development of ABA Antagonists to Overcome ABA- and Low Temperature-Induced Inhibition of Seed Germination in Canola,Lentil, and Soybean

ABA antagonists have potential application as growth regulators to improve germination and seedling growth at low temperatures for oilseeds and pulses grown in regions with short seasons such as those in western Canada. Towards development of practical ABA antagonists, a series of 3′-substituted ABA analogs were synthesized and screened in seed germination assays in canola (Brassica napus), lentil (Lens culinaris), and soybean (Glycine max) at low temperature and in overcoming exogenous ABA. The most promising analog, ABA 1009, was selected for further germination testing of dose responses in canola, lentil, and soybean. Analog ABA 1009 at 100 µM was effective in overcoming ABA (10 µM)-induced inhibition for canola, lentil, and soybean germination at ambient temperature, and also promoted germination at low temperature for canola (5 °C).

     

Significance of the Leaf Area Ratio in Hevea brasiliensis Under High Irradiance and Low Temperature Stress

Adjustment in leaf area : mass ratio called leaf area ratio (LAR) is one of the strategies to optimize photon harvesting. LAR was recorded for 10 genotypes of Hevea brasiliensis under high irradiance and low temperature and the genotypes were categorized into two groups, i.e. high LAR and low LAR types. Simultaneously, the growth during summer as well as winter periods, photosynthetic characteristics, and in-vitro oxidative damage were studied. Low LAR (19.86±0.52 m² kg^–1) types, recorded an average of 18.0 % chlorophyll (Chl) degradation under high irradiance and 7.1 % Chl degradation under low temperature. These genotypes maintained significantly higher net photosynthetic rate (P _N) of 10.4 mol(CO₂) m^–2 s^–1 during winter season. On the contrary, the high LAR (24.33±0.27 m² kg^–1) types recorded significantly lower P _N of 4 mol(CO₂) m^–2 s^–1 and greater Chl degradation of 37.7 and 13.9 % under high irradiance and low temperature stress, respectively. Thus LAR may be one of the physiological traits, which are possibly involved in plant acclimation process under both stresses studied.     

Regulation of Electron Transport in Photosystems I and II in C3, C3-C4, and C4 Species of Panicum in Response to Changing Irradiance and O2 Levels

Regulation of the quantum yields of linear electron transport and photosystem II photochemistry ([phi]II) with changing irradiance and gas-phase O2 concentration was studied in leaf tissue from Panicum bisulcatum (C3), Panicum milioides (C3-C4), and Panicum antidotale (C4) at 200 [mu]bars of CO2 and 25[deg]C using infrared gas analysis and chlorophyll fluorescence yield measurements. When the O2 level was increased from 14 to 213 mbars at high irradiance, [phi]II increased by as much as 115% in P. bisulcatum but by no more than 17% in P. antidotale. Under the same conditions [phi]II increased to an intermediate degree in P. milioides. Measurements of accumulation of the photooxidized form of the photosystem I reaction center (P700+) based on the light-dependent in vivo absorbance change at 830 nm indicate that the steady-state concentration of P700+ varied in an antiparallel manner with [phi]II when either the irradiance or O2 concentration was changed. Hence, O2-dependent changes in [phi]II were indicative of variations in linear photosynthetic electron transport. These experiments revealed, however, that a significant capacity was retained for in vivo regulation of the apparent quantum yield of photosystem I ([phi]I) independently of [phi]II+ Coordinate regulation of quantum yields of photosystems I and II (expressed as [phi]I:[phi]II in response to changing irradiance and O2 level differed markedly for the C3 and C4 species, and the response for the C3-C4 species most closely resembled that observed for the C4 species. The fraction of total linear electron transport supporting photorespiration at 213 mbars of O2 was negligible in the C4 species and was 13% lower in the C3-C4 species relative to the C3 species as calculated from fluorescence and gas-exchange determinations. At high photon-flux rates and high O2 concentration, the potential benefit to light use for net CO2 uptake arising from lower photorespiration in P. milioides was offset by a reduced capacity for total CO2- and O2-dependent noncyclic electron transport in this species compared with P. bisulcatum.     

A Guide to Bivariate Ideas of Quantal Response Analysis,as Applied in Biometrics and Econometrics

A review is provided of the several bivariate generalisations of quantal response analysis that have appeared in the biometric and econometric literatures. There are three main types: (i) where a binary outcome is the result of two stimulants, and thus the bivariate distribution of the thresholds for response is relevant; (ii) where three or more alternative outcomes may arise from a single stimulant; and (iii) where the response itself is bivariate (i.e., two types of response may simultaneously be observed).     

Responses of the Antioxidant Systems and Xanthophyll Cycle in Phaseolus vulgaris to the Combined Stress of High Irradiance and High Temperature

Changes in the activities of enzymes involved in scavenging active oxygen species were followed after exposing bean seedling leaves (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to various cross stresses of irradiance and temperature. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1) and ascorbate peroxidase (AsAPOD, EC 1.11.1.11) increased to different extent with prolonged irradiation of the leaves, and were stimulated by high temperature (HT). The activity of catalase (CAT, 1.11.1.6) decreased when exposed to strong irradiance (HI), and the decrease was further exacerbated when HI was combined with HT. CAT activity was more sensitive to HT than to HI. Ascorbate (AsA) content slightly decreased and then increased during the treatment of HI, but decreased under the cross stress of HI and HT. On the contrary, glutathione (GSH) content increased all the time during various treatments of irradiance and temperature. The increase in the combined stress was even more pronounced. Irradiance is the major reason in triggering the operation of xanthophyll cycle, which was difficult to be started by HT. The antioxidant systems tended to be inactivated with prolonged exposure to the cross stress of HI and HT. The de-expoxidated state of xanthophyll cycle, however, was increasing all the time, which indicated that the zeaxanthin-dependent thermal dissipation was one major energy dissipation pathway during the cross stress of HI and HT.     

Variation in response of accessions of minor millets,Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke (pearl millet) and Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn (finger millet), and Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter (tef) to salinity in early seedling growth

The response to increasing NaCl concentration of seedlings of 25 accessions of Ethiopian land races of each of Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke (pearl millet) and Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn (finger millet), and 15 accessions of Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter (tef), was examined after two week's growth in NaCl solution culture. Although increasing NaCl concentration significantly reduced seedling root lengths, there was considerable variation within, and between accessions within each species.Analysis based upon a non-linear least square inversion method, using root length data, revealed significant differences in accessions of P. americanum and E. tef on the basis of the estimated salinity threshold, C _t , the NaCl concentrations at which root length begins to decrease. C _t did not differ significantly between E. coracana accessions. Estimates of C₅₀ and C₀, mininum concentrations causing a 50% decrease in root length, and zero root growth respectively, revealed differences between and within accessions for all three species. Overall, finger millet was more tolerant than tef, which was more tolerant than pearl millet. There is clear evidence that differences in tolerance are genetically based from broad sense heritability estimates.     

Knockout of Multiple Arabidopsis Cation/H+ Exchangers Suggests Isoform-Specific Roles in Metal Stress Response,Germination and Seed Mineral Nutrition

Cation/H⁺ exchangers encoded by CAX genes play an important role in the vacuolar accumulation of metals including Ca²⁺ and Mn²⁺. Arabidopsis thaliana CAX1 and CAX3 have been previously shown to differ phylogenetically from CAX2 but the physiological roles of these different transporters are still unclear. To examine the functions and the potential of redundancy between these three cation transporters, cax1/cax2 and cax2/cax3 double knockout mutants were generated and compared with wild type and cax single knockouts. These double mutants had equivalent metal stress responses to single cax mutants. Both cax1 and cax1/cax2 had increased tolerance to Mg stress, while cax2 and cax2/cax3 both had increased sensitivity to Mn stress. The cax1/cax2 and cax2/cax3 mutants did not exhibit the deleterious developmental phenotypes previously seen with the cax1/cax3 mutant. However, these new double mutants did show alterations in seed germination, specifically a delay in germination time. These alterations correlated with changes in nutrient content within the seeds of the mutants, particularly the cax1/cax2 mutant which had significantly higher seed content of Ca and Mn. This study indicates that the presence of these Arabidopsis CAX transporters is important for normal germination and infers a role for CAX proteins in metal homeostasis within the seed.     

PIMT Prevents the Apoptosis of Endothelial Cells in Response to Glycated Low Density Lipoproteins and Protective Effects of Grape Seed Procyanidin B2

Background

The development of diabetic angiopathy is associated with profound vascular endothelial cells (VEC) dysfunction and apoptosis. Glycated low density lipoproteins (gly-LDL) continuously produced in the setting of diabetic patients play an important role in causing VEC dysfunction and apoptosis. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains largely elusive. Protein L-isoaspartyl methyltransferase (PIMT) is a widely expressed protein repair enzyme by multiple cell types of arterial wall including VEC. Our previous proteomic studies showed that the expression of PIMT was significantly decreased in the aorta of diabetic rats as compared with control rats and treatment with grape seed procyanidin extracts significantly increased the PIMT expression in diabetic rats. We hypothesized that PIMT plays a critical role in gly-LDL induced VEC apoptosis; grape seed procyanidin B2 (GSPB2) protect against gly-LDL induced VEC apoptosis through PIMT regulation.

Methods and Results

HUVEC transfected negative control and PIMT siRNA were treated with or without GSPB2 (10 µmol/L) for 48 h. Moreover, HUVEC of PIMT overexpression were stimulated by gly-LDL (50 µg/ml) in the presence or absence of GSPB2 (10 µmol/L) for 48 h. Our results showed that gly-LDL downregulated PIMT expression and PIMT overexpression or GSPB2 significantly attenuated gly-LDL induced VEC apoptosis. PIMT siRNA increased VEC apoptosis with up-regulation of p53, cytochrome c release, caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation. Mechanistically, overexpression of PIMT or GSPB2 increased the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and GSK3β in the gly-LDL induced VEC.

Conclusion

In summary, our study identified PIMT as a key player responsible for gly-LDL induced VEC apoptosis and GSPB2 protect against gly-LDL induced VEC apoptosis by PIMT up-regulation. Targeting PIMT including use of GSPB2 could be turned into clinical application in the fighting against diabetic vascular complications.     

Energy Metabolism and Quantal Acetylcholine Release: Effects of Botulinum Toxin, l-Fluoro-2,4-Dinitrobenzene, and Diamide in the Torpedo Electric Organ

In the Torpedo electric organ, a modified nerve-muscle system, type A botulinum toxin blocked the release of acetylcholine (ACh) quanta, both neurally evoked and spontaneous. At the same time, the toxin increased the release of a class of small miniature potentials (the subminiature potentials), reduced the ATP and more the creatine phosphate content of the tissue, and impaired the activity of creatine kinase (CK). Thus, we compared this pattern of changes with those provoked by 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (FDNB), an efficient inhibitor of CK. As expected, FDNB rapidly inactivated CK, which resulted in a profound depletion of ATP whereas the stores of creatine phosphate were preserved. In addition, FDNB caused conspicuous morphological alterations of nerve endings and ACh depletion. This agent also suppressed evoked and spontaneous quantal release whereas the occurrence of subminature potentials was markedly increased. Diamide, a penetrating thiol oxidizing substance, provoked first a transient rise in quantal ACh release and then blockade of transmission with, again, production of a large number of subminiature potentials. Creatine phosphate was depleted in the tissue by diamide, the ATP content reduced, and CK activity partly inhibited. The morphology of nerve terminals did not show obvious changes with either diamide or botulinum toxin at the stage of transmission failure. Although the three poisons acted by different mechanisms, this resulted in a rather similar pattern of physiological changes: failure of quantal release and enhancement of subquantal release. These results and experiments on synaptosomes indicated that CK inhibition was probably a crucial mechanism for FDNB but not for diamide or botulinum intoxication.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Novel H7N9 Influenza Virus Shows Low Infectious Dose,High Growth Rate,and Efficient Contact Transmission in the Guinea Pig Model

The zoonotic outbreak of H7N9 subtype avian influenza virus that occurred in eastern China in the spring of 2013 resulted in 135 confirmed human cases, 44 of which were lethal. Sequencing of the viral genome revealed a number of molecular signatures associated with virulence or transmission in mammals. We report here that, in the guinea pig model, a human isolate of novel H7N9 influenza virus, A/Anhui/1/2013 (An/13), is highly dissimilar to an H7N1 avian isolate and instead behaves similarly to a human seasonal strain in several respects. An/13 was found to have a low 50% infectious dose, grow to high titers in the upper respiratory tract, and transmit efficiently among cocaged guinea pigs. The pH of fusion of the hemagglutinin (HA) and the binding of virus to fixed guinea pig tissues were also examined. The An/13 HA displayed a relatively elevated pH of fusion characteristic of many avian strains, and An/13 resembled avian viruses in terms of attachment to tissues. One important difference was seen between An/13 and both the H3N2 human and the H7N1 avian viruses: when inoculated intranasally at a high dose, only the An/13 virus led to productive infection of the lower respiratory tract of guinea pigs. In sum, An/13 was found to retain fusion and attachment properties of an avian influenza virus but displayed robust growth and contact transmission in the guinea pig model atypical of avian strains and indicative of mammalian adaptation.     

Limitation of CO(2) Assimilation and Regulation of Benson-Calvin Cycle Activity in Barley Leaves in Response to Changes in Irradiance, Photoinhibition, and Recovery

The response of the Benson-Calvin cycle to changes in irradiance and photoinhibition was measured in low-light grown barley (Hordeum vulgare) leaves. Upon the transition from the growth irradiance (280 micromoles per square meter per second) to a high photoinhibitory irradiance (1400 micromoles per square meter per second), the CO₂ assimilation rate of the leaves doubled within minutes but high irradiance rapidly caused a reduction in quantum efficiency. Following exposure to high light the activities of NADP-malate dehydrogenase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase obtained near maximum values and the activation state of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase increased. The activity of the latter remained constant throughout the period of photoinhibitory irradiance, but the increase in the activities of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and NADP-malate dehydrogenase was transient decreasing once more to much lower values. This suggests that immediately following the transition to high light reduction and activation of redox-modulated enzymes occurred, but then the stroma became relatively oxidized as a result of photoinhibition. The leaf contents of glucose 6-phosphate and fructose 6-phosphate increased following exposure to high light but subsequently decreased, suggesting that following photoinhibition sucrose synthesis exceeded the rate of carbon assimilation. The ATP content attained a constant value much higher than that in low light. During photoinhibition the glycerate 3-phosphate content greatly increased while ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate decreased. The fructose-1,6-bisphosphate and triose phosphate contents increased initially and then remained constant. During photoinhibition CO₂ assimilation was not limited by ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase activity but rather by the regeneration of the substrate, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate, related to a restriction on the supply of reducing equivalents.     

High Energy Charge as a Requirement for Axis Elongation in Response to Gibberellic Acid and Kinetin during Stratification of Acer saccharum Seeds

The growth potential of embryonic axes of Acer saccharum Marsh. increased during moist storage at 5 C but not at 20 C. During the period of increasing growth potential, the oxygen consumption of the axes remained constant. It was possible to distinguish three phases of the stratification-germination process at 5 C with respect to response of the axis to gibberellic acid and kinetin. From 0 to 10 days the growth regulators had no effect on elongation; from 10 to 60 days axis elongation was stimulated; and between day 60 and day 75, when germination had begun, the growth substances were inhibitory. The adenylate energy charge remained low (0.15) in axes of dry dormant seeds but increased to 0.78 following imbibition of water and 10 days of moist storage at 5 C. This phenomenon was not specifically related to low temperature stratification, since a rapid increase in the energy charge of the axes also occurred following imbibition and moist storage at 20 C. The excised axes would elongate in response to the growth substances only when a high energy charge (approximately 0.8) was maintained.