Ascorbic Acid as a factor controlling the development of cyanide-insensitive respiration.

Lycorine, an inhibitor of ascorbic acid biosynthesis, prevents the elicitation of KCN-insensitive respiration in aerated potato tuber slices. Ascorbic acid administration prevents the lycorine effect. Because KCN-insensitive respiration, which takes place during the aerobic incubation of potato tuber slices, specifically depends on the synthesis of new proteins, we suggest that ascorbic acid could be required to carry out a synthetic process.