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Calorimetric Studies of the Elongation of Avena Coleoptile Segments ¹

^a Department of Chemistry and, Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois 60115

Elongation rate and heat produced by Avena coleoptile segments suspended in sucrose buffer solutions were measured at pH values from 3.5 to 8.5. The caloric efficiency of elongation (CEE) was defined as the ratio of the rate of elongation to the rate of heat production. Elongation and CEE were greatest at intermediate pH values, but heat production (about 1 cal/g·hr) was insensitive to pH within the limits of experimental error (±20%). Quantitative agreement was found between the results of previous respiration studies and the rate of heat production in an aerobic atmosphere, which indicates that oxidative metabolism accounts for essentially all energy changes in the cell, so matter flow is a significant component of the bioenergetics of cell function. Indole-3-acetic acid up to 1 mM, produced about a 10-fold increase in elongation rate, a 5-fold increase of the CEE, and a 25% increase in heat production. Above this concentration, sharp drops in both elongation and heat production occurred, without altering the CEE at pH 6.5, but greatly decreasing the CEE at pH 4.5. Elongation and CEE showed marked decreases after 4 hours in an anaerobic atmosphere, but heat production did not exhibit a proportional decrease. These studies indicate that rate of cell elongation in the presence and absence of auxin is not directly proportional to the overall metabolism of the cell.