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Articles

Mechanism of Plant Growth Stimulation by Naphthenic Acid

Effects on Nitrogen Metabolism of Phaseolus Vulgaris L. ¹

^a Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia Canada

Fourteen-day-old Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Top Crop (bush bean) plants were sprayed with the plant growth stimulant, potassium naphthenate (20 mM). Seven days after treatment the contents of glutamic acid dehydrogenase, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, nitrate reductase, glutamine synthetase, and cytochrome oxidase in the trifoliate leaf blades of treated plants were significantly larger, and the specific activity of the last four was significantly greater. Potassium nephthenate (1 µM) in the assay solutions did not significantly alter the activity of these enzymes in the cell-free extracts of untreated plants. Leaf discs from treated plants did not incorporate ¹⁴C-leucine into protein more actively. The protein content of leaves of treated plants was 15.3% greater, and the percentages of 16 individual amino acids in the hydrolysates of the proteins of control and treated plants showed numerous differences. The major changes were greater percentages of glutamic acid, glycine, and proline, and smaller values of arginine, lysine, tyrosine, and leucine in protein of treated plants. The content of ethanol-soluble (free) amino acids was greater by 7.5%. The principal changes in content of these acids were larger percentages of arginine and lysine, and smaller values for glutamic acid, serine, and proline in the leaves of potassium naphthenate-treated plants. The content of DNA, measured 1, 2, and 3 weeks after a foliar application of potassium naphthenate, was not significantly different from that of untreated plants, but the amount of RNA was significantly greater at all three times of measurement. The number and weight of green pods per plant 30 days after potassium naphthenate application were significantly larger, suggesting that the stimulative action of potassium naphthenate was in progress at the times of the assays. A mechanism, involving a genetic and a metabolic phase, is suggested for the stimulation of plant growth by naphthenate.

³ Present address: Department of Biology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B. C., Canada.

¹ The research was supported by National Research Council of Canada grants to the senior author.