Correlation between Changes in Mitochondrial Membranes of Artichoke Tubers and Their Hardening and Dormancy.

Spin labeling studies using mitochondrial membranes of Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) showed that the decrease during winter in the temperatures of the upper and lower lipid transitions correlated with the development of freezing hardiness of the tubers. The killing temperature for tuber tissue reached a minimum of -12 C, about 5 C degrees lower than the lower transition. Freeze-hardiness decreased when the lower transition increased at the time of sprouting.Low temperature storage was not required to induce freeze-hardiness or to lower the transitions. These changes occurred in tubers under field conditions and at a constant growth temperature of 25 +/- 1 C. In both conditions, tuber dormancy preceded the mitochondrial membrane changes.In young nondormant tubers, cessation of growth by storage at 0 or 4 C and the induction of dormancy with abscisic acid led to decreased temperatures of the upper and lower transitions.Changes in Arrhenius activation energy of succinate oxidase were correlated with the seasonal changes in the upper and lower transitions confirming that these were indeed a reflection of altered thermal responses of mitochondrial membranes, which might be part of a general mechanism in this plant of insuring membrane integrity during the freeze-thaw process. In contrast with chilling injury, there is no precise correlation between the temperature of the lower transition and the temperature below which freezing injury occurs.