ON THE RELATION BETWEEN GROWTH AND RESPIRATION IN THE AVENA COLEOPTILE

1. The growth of Avena coleoptile sections in sucrose and auxin solutions is inhibited by various substances which are known to act as dehydrogenase inhibitors. 2. Iodoacetate, which is particularly active in this connection, inhibits all growth at a concentration of 5 x 10^–5 M, but produces only a slight inhibition of oxygen uptake. 3. The growth inhibition by iodoacetate is completely removed by malate and fumarate, and to a lesser extent by succinate and pyruvate. 4. These acids themselves increase the effect of auxin on growth and also increase the respiration of the coleoptile sections, but only if auxin is present. 5. When sections have been soaked in malate or fumarate, the addition of auxin considerably increases the total respiration. Further, the concentration range over which this increase takes place parallels that active in promoting growth. 6. The four-carbon acids provide a respiratory system which is part of the chain of growth processes, and which is in some way catalyzed by auxin. It represents a small but variable fraction of the total respiration.     

INTRACELLULAR LOCALIZATION OF NATIVE AUXIN IN AVENA COLEOPTILE

Intracellular localization of the native auxin in the Avenacole-optile tip was investigated by separating cellular fractionsby differential centrifugation. Each fraction was extractedwith ether and the auxin activity was measured by the sensitizedAvena curvature test. After the removal of the native free auxin,each fraction was alkaline-hydrolyied, and from these hydrolyzatesthe bound auxin was extracted with ether and its activity wasmeasured. Both the native free auxin and the native bound auxinin these extracts were identified as IAA by paper chromatography.The results show that the native free auxin occurs only in thesupernatant soluble cytoplasm, and that the native bound auxinlocalizes also in the supernatant. The distribution of the externallyapplied IAA was also investigated. (Received February 27, 1962; )     

GEOTROPIC CURVATURE OF AVENA COLEOPTILES

Applying a photographic recording method, and working on enlargements of the plates so obtained, the shape of the geotropically curving coleoptile of Avena was studied. This shape is expressed in terms of curvature of the neutral axis of the coleoptile; for the true geotropic response of the strain of Avena used, the curvature of the neutral axis is an arc of a circle. The "rate of curvature" is taken as the derivative of the curve relating time with the angle with the horizontal made by the tangent to the neutral axis at the tip. This rate increases up to a maximum and then decreases gradually. No "geogrowth" of the whole coleoptile is found. It is shown that the curvature is due to an increase in the elongation of the lower side of the horizontally placed coleoptile with a concomitant decrease of the rate of elongation of the upper side. This is correlated with a shift in distribution of "growth substance" in the tip as affected by change of position of the coleoptile.     

THE GROWTH AND RESPIRATION OF THE AVENA COLEOPTILE

1. Transport of the plant growth hormone into the Avena coleoptile as well as the action of the hormone on cell elongation in the coleoptile are shown to depend upon aerobic metabolism. 2. Crystalline auxine, in contrast with impure preparations, affects neither the magnitude nor the respiratory quotient of coleoptile respiration. 3. Increasing age of the coleoptile cell decreases its rate of elongation much more than its rate of respiration. HCN or phenylurethane on the other hand decrease the two processes to the same extent, in spite of the fact that only a small portion of the energy liberated by respiration can be used in the mechanical process of growth. 4. From 2 and 3 it is concluded that processes of a respiratory nature but of relatively small magnitude form one or more integral steps in the chain of reactions by which the plant growth hormone brings about cell elongation.     

EFFECT OF YEAST SEXUAL HORMONES ON ELONGATION OF AVENA COLEOPTILE

Effect of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) sexual hormones on the elongation of etiolated Avena coleoptile segments was studied. The elongation was promoted by a hormone excreted by cells of mating type a, but not by α hormone excreted by cells of α type. The effect of the former was as great as that of 5 mg/1 indole-3-acetic acid in the first hour of application. The optimal concentration of a hormone was 10 units/ml. Its growth promoting effect was greatly inhibited by an antiauxin, 2,4,6-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid. a Hormone increased cell wall extensibility just as auxin does. Testosterone, β-estradiol, progesterone and ergosterol showed very little effect on the elongation of coleoptile segments.