Xanthophyll esterification in the flavedo of citrus fruit

A positive correlation was found between total and esterifiedxanthophyll concentrations in citrus peel, during natural andinduced colour development, during regreening, and in comparisonsbetween different varieties. Esters constitute about 60% oftotal xanthophylls in coloured fruit and possibly representa relatively soluble chromoplastic storage form for xanthophylls. (Received March 15, 1972; )     

Extraction of Auxin and of Other Growth Regulators from Citrus Steins by Centrifugal Force

A method is described whereby diffusible native growth substances are forcibly extracted by centrifugation. Centrifugates are relatively pure, highly active when tested for auxins and gibberellins, and contain far less inhibitors than solvent extracts.     

Native growth inhibitors from citrus shoots. Partition, bioassay, and characterization

A partition method has been devised to separate auxins, gibberellins, and their respective inhibitors in plant extracts. Inhibitors counteracting gibberellin activity have been detected by a modified barley endosperm bioassay. An inhibitor found in young citrus shoots counteracts both auxin and gibberellin activities and behaves during partition and ohromatography like abscisin II.     

EFFECTS OF GIBBERELLIN AND AMO-1618 ON GROWTH,DRY-MATTER ACCUMULATION,CHLOROPHYLL CONTENT AND PEROXIDASE ACTIVITY OF CITRUS SEEDLINGS

Monselise , S. P., and A. H. Halevy . (Hebrew U., Rehovot, Israel.) Effects of gibberellin and AMO–1618 on growth, dry-matter accumulation, chlorophyll content and peroxidase activity of citrus seedlings. Amer. Jour. Bot. 49(4): 405–412. Illus. 1962.—Sweet-lime seedlings, 6 months old, were sprayed with gibberellic acid (GA) and a growth retardant, AMO–1618, alone and in combination, at concentrations ranging between SO and 1600 ppm. Increasing concentrations of GA progressively increased shoot and internode length, did not influence number of leaves, and decreased leaf area. Dry weight of shoots was progressively increased up to 400 ppm, while dry weights of leaves and roots were decreased over all GA concentrations. Total dry weight of plants was increased by GA when related to leaf area or weight and to total chlorophyll content, which indicates a higher synthetic efficiency of leaves. This could not be detected by manometric determinations using leaf discs. It is suggested that a short determination period and/or work with detached leaves are responsible for failures to detect increased photosynthetic activity of GA-treated leaves. Chlorophyll content of leaves was decreased by increasing GA concentrations; it is shown that this is not due to “dilution” over a larger area of leaves. Peroxidase activity of leaves was only slightly reduced by GA, while it was increased by AMC–1618, acting as antagonist to GA. This is remarkable, since AMO–1618 did not clearly affect other procperties of citrus seedlings which are only slightly responsive to this chemical.     

Differential counteraction of ethylene effects by gibberellin a(3) and n(6)-benzyladenine in senescing citrus peel

Treatment of mature citrus fruit (Citrus sinensis) with ethylene induced rapid chlorophyll destruction, a rise in respiration, a release of free amino acids, an accumulation of reducing sugars, and an appearance of phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity. Gibberellin A₃ (GA₃) and N₆-benzyladenine (BA) opposed the effects of ethylene on chlorophyll, amino acids, and to a lesser extent, reducing sugar levels. The ethylene-induced respiratory rise was only slightly modified by GA₃ and BA. Phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity was not affected by GA₃.     

Different ammonium-ion uptake,metabolism and detoxification efficiencies in two Lemnaceae

¹⁵N-Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to follow nitrogen assimilation and amino-acid production in Wolffia arrhiza (L.) Hork. ex. Wimmer, clone Golan exposed to 4.0 mM ¹⁵NH₄Cl solutions for 24 h. The main ¹⁵N-labelled metabolites were asparagine and glutamine, as well as substantial amounts of unreacted, intracellular NH ₄ ⁺ . These results were compared with those of a previous study on Lemna gibba L. clone Hurfeish (Monselise et al., 1987, New Phytol. 10, 341–345) with regard to NH ₄ ⁺ uptake, assimilation and detoxification efficiencies. Both species, grown under continuous white light, were capable of preferential uptake of NH ₄ ⁺ in the presence of nitrate. Relative growth rates indicate that both species tolerate increased levels of NH ₄ ⁺ , up to 10^–2 mol · 1^–1, with L. gibba showing a slightly greater tolerance. No ¹⁵N-labelled free NH ₄ ⁺ was detectable in L. gibba, while in W. arrhiza excess NH ₄ ⁺ was found within the cells. This fact indicates that L. gibba is more efficient in detoxification than W. arrhiza, presumably because of inability of W. arrhiza to regenerate the NH ₄ ⁺ traps, glutamate and aspartate, rapidly enough. This is also evident from the observation that addition of -ketoglutarate to the medium caused nearly complete assimilation of intracellular NH ₄ ⁺ in W. arrhiza. In both plants, addition of -ketoglutarate increased both NH ₄ ⁺ uptake and assimilation. Addition of l-methionine dl-sulfoximine, an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase inhibited NH ₄ ⁺ assimilation, while addition of azaserine, an inhibitor of glutamate synthase, resulted in ¹⁵N incorporation into the glutamine-amide position only. These results are consistent with the glutamine synthetase-glutamate synthase pathway being the major route of NH ₄ ⁺ assimilation in the two plants under the conditions used.Abbreviations AZA azaserine (O-diazoacetyl-l-serine) - GOGAT glutamine oxoglutarate amine transferase=]glutamate synthase E.C. 1.4.7. and E.C. 1.4.1.13. - GS glutamine synthetase E.C. 6.3.1.2. - -KG -ketoglutarate=2-oxoglutarate - MSO l-methionine dl-sulphoximine - NMR nuclear magnetic resonance - RGR relative growth rate This article is dedicated to Professor Bernhard Schrader on the occasion of his 60th birthdayWe wish to thank Professor Robert Glaser for helpful discussions, and Mrs. Aliza Levkoviz and Mr. Gideon Raziel for skillful assistance.     

Ethylene-controlled Induction of Phenylalanine Ammonia-lyase in Citrus Fruit Peel

l-Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity is low in the external layers (flavedo) of intact mature grapefruit peel. Flavedo discs evince upon incubation increasing PAL activity and ethylene production. Light has no effect in enhancing PAL activity in discs. Exogenous ethylene stimulates PAL activity in the flavedo of intact mature grapefruits (half maximum stimulation at 15 ppm); such activity rapidly decreases when fruit is removed from the ethylene containing atmosphere. Carbon dioxide inhibits both ethylene production and PAL activity of discs; exogenous ethylene only partly relieves PAL inhibition. Cycloheximide inhibits both PAL activity and ethylene production by flavedo discs. The same concentration of cycloheximide also inhibits PAL activity of discs in the presence of exogenous ethylene. Protein synthesis seems therefore to be needed at both levels of ethylene evolution and enhancement of PAL activity.