Temperature and other factors affecting chloramphenicol stimulation of the germination of light-sensitive lettuce seeds

✍ Scribed by B. Frankland; H. Smith

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1967
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 695 KB
• Volume: 77
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0032-0935
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00389320

✦ Synopsis

D-threo-chloramphenicol at concentrations ranging from 1000 to 3000 ~g/ml stimulated the germination of the light-sensitive seeds of the lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) varieties Attraetie and Grand Rapids. This stimulatory effect of chloramphcnicol was markedly temperature dependent, increasing with decreasing temperature. Seeds showed little response to chloramphenicol at temperatures of 28~ and above except in the case of light treated Attractie seed. The failure of one batch of Grand Rapids seed to respond to chloramphenicol was associated with the low degree of dormancy in this batch.

When the germination of half-seeds or intact excised embryos of Attractie seed was inhibited osmotically with 0.15 IV[ NaC1 a stimulatory response to chloramphenicol was obtained suggesting that the site of action was in the embryo itself.

Other inhibitors of protein synthesis, cycloheximide, puromycin and p-finorophenylalanine, did not stimulate germination. Cycloheximide at concentrations of 10 Ixg/ml and above inhibited germination whereas puromycin and p-fluorophenylalanine were relatively ineffective as germination inhibitors.