Membrane Lipids in Senescing Green Tissues2

At a late stage in sensescence cucumber cotuledons lose freshweight rapidly; at the same time there is an increase in apparentfree space and large quantities of electrolyte leak out whendiscs of cotyledon tissue are floated on water. It is concludedthat tonoplast and plasma membrane become leaky at this time. Phosphatidyl choline, the major phospholipid present, beginsto disappear once the cotyledons reach maximum fresh weight;by the time rapid water loss starts, 56 per cent has gone, andphosphatidyl ethanolamine and inositol start to disappear. Onlyat maturity is there enough of these phospholipids to furnishmore than two complete membranes around each cell; it is suggestedthat the decline in phospholipid level at senescence destroysmembrane integrity and allows leakage. The glyohpids begin to disappear at the same time as chlorophyll,2 weeks before weight loss starts. The minor lipid phosphatidyl glycerol is the first to disappearfrom the cotyledons.