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¹⁴C₂H₄: Its Incorporation and Metabolism by Pea Seedlings under Aseptic Conditions ¹

^a Central Research and Development Department, Experimental Station, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Delaware 19898

The effects of various treatments on the recently reported system in pea (Pisum sativum cv. Alaska), which results in (a) the incorporation of ¹⁴C₂H₄ into the tissue and (b) the conversion of ¹⁴C₂H₄ to ¹⁴CO₂, was investigated using 2-day-old etiolated seedlings which exhibit a maximum response. Heat treatment (80 C, 1 min) completely inhibited both a and b, whereas homogenization completely inhibited b but only partially inhibited a. Detaching the cotyledons from the root-shoot axis immediately before exposing the detached cotyledons together with the root-shoot axis to ¹⁴C₂H₄ markedly reduced both a and b. Increasing the ¹⁴C₂H₄ concentration from 0.14 to over 100 µl/l progressively increased the rate of a and b with tissue incorporation being greater than ¹⁴C₂H₄ to ¹⁴CO₂ conversion only below 0.3 µl/l ¹⁴C₂H₄. Reduction of the O₂ concentration reduced both a and b, with over 99% inhibition occurring under anaerobic conditions. The addition of CO₂ (5%) severely inhibited ¹⁴C₂H₄ to ¹⁴CO₂ conversion without significantly affecting tissue incorporation. Exposure of etiolated seedlings to fluorescent light during ¹⁴C₂H₄ treatment was without effect. Similarly, indoleacetic acid, gibberellic acid, benzyladenine, abscisic acid, and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate had no significant effect on either a or b.

The possibilities that the incorporation of ¹⁴C₂H₄ into pea tissues and its conversion to ¹⁴CO₂ is linked to ethylene action, or that it represents a means of reducing the endogenous ethylene level, are discussed.

Several problems encountered with the use of polyethylene vials, rubber serum stoppers, Clorox, and microbial contamination are also described.