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Metabolism As a Function of Water Potential in Air-Dry Seeds of Charlock (Sinapis arvensis L.) ¹

^a Department of Physiology and Environmental Studies, School of Agriculture, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, England

A new method is described for studying the metabolism of air-dry seeds. An initial pulse of ¹⁴CO₂ was supplied to seeds maintained in air at controlled low water potentials for 6 months. Seeds were also infiltrated with 2-¹⁴C-acetate and with ¹⁴C-L-leucine at 0 C, redried rapidly at 0 C, and maintained at controlled low water potentials for 4 to 6 weeks. The metabolism of the air-dry seeds was a function of the water content of the tissues, which was in equilibrium with the water potential at the seed surface. The fixation of ¹⁴CO₂ and the utilization of 2-¹⁴C-acetate increased exponentially with water content. The incorporation of ¹⁴C-L-leucine into protein increased linearly with water content. Metabolism was not reduced to a low rate except in air-dry seeds at the lowest water potentials (–1716 to –762 bars) with 4 to 6% water.