ATP Synthesis in Cotyledons of Cucumber and Mung Bean Seeds during the First Hours of Imbibition

ATP concentration increased rapidly during the first 6h of imbibitionin cotyledons of cucumber and mung bean seeds. The increasewas strongly inhibited by 1-h treatment of tissues with cyanidein both species. Carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone, anuncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation, showed little effectduring the first hour of the treatment, but its inhibitory effecton ATP synthesis became significant after 3 h. Mitochondrialfractions prepared from 6-h-old cucumber cotyledons were capableof phosphorylating ADP to ATP. These results suggest that mitochondrialoxidative phosphorylation may be involved in ATP synthesis duringthe early hours of imbibition in both cucumber and mung beanseeds. (Received December 7, 1987; Accepted April 9, 1988)