Regulation of acid hydrolysis of sucrose in acid lime juice sac cells

The sucrose content of acid lime Citrus aurantifolia (Christm.) Swing.] juice tissue was measured at time 0 and at various times following incubation at 15.5, 26.6 and 37.7°C. The decline in sucrose content in fruit stored at 15.5°C paralleled the expected values for a sucrose solution at pH 2.1. At higher temperatures, the in vivo sucrose content decreased at significantly lower rates than the expected values. In fruit stored at 26.6 and 37.7°C, the vacuolar pH increased 0.11 and 0.23 units, respectively. When sucrose hydrolysis was recalculated at the increased vacuolar pH of juice cells stored at 26.6 and 37.7°C, the calculated values were similar to the measured values obtained in vivo. It is concluded that within the limits of the experimental conditions, the rates of sucrose acid hydrolysis are regulated by changes in the vacuolar H⁺ concentration.