Metabolismo di Quiete e Metabolismo di Crescita

Summary

The changes in carbohydrate and phosphorus metabolism of tomato ovaries stimulated to growth by pollination or auxin treatment found in previous studies prompted an investigation of the enzymatic systems concerned. In this research, the effects of pollination and of auxin treatment on phosphorylase and on phosphatase activity were studied. Phosphatase splitting inorganic P from adenosine triphosphate was characterized as different from that acting on glycero- and hexose-phosphate by the difference in inhibition by beryllium and fluoride.

Two phases of growth occurring during the earlier stages of fruit development were clearly defined by the behavior of the enzymes considered. During the first (induction) phase both phosphomonoesterase and ATP-ase activity markedly dropped. This was followed by a marked rise in activity during the later stages of growth.

Phosphorylase activity, unlike that of the phosphatases, showed no relationship to the two phases of growth, and increased steadily during the period of observation. This agreed with the rate of starch synthesis observed in the growing auxin treated or pollinated tomato fruits.

Changes in the activity of these enzymes in the not pollinated, not auxin treated ovaries during the period of observation were, on a comparative basis, very small.