Mechanism of effect of aging on membrane transport in leaf strips of Centranthus ruber: Possible ethylene involvement in cutting shock.

Cerulenin has been used to investigate the mechanism by which leaf strips of Centranthus ruber (L.) Lam et D.C. increase their capacity for solute uptake during a period of incubation in CaSO4 ("aging"). α-Aminoisobutyric acid was used to assess uptake capability. The leaf strips developed their uptake capacity for at least 8-10 h after excision. Cerulenin, if added to the aging medium immediately after cutting or at any time during the aging process, almost completely halted this development, but did not bring about loss of the uptake capacity already achieved. That cerulenin was specifically interfering with fatty-acid biosynthesis was indicated by the fact that it drastically depressed incorporation of labelled acetate into the lipid fraction but did not affect the incorporation of labelled alanine. Cycloheximide strongly inhibited the development of uptake capacity, but sensitivity to actinomycin D was not evident for at least 2 h. The results are consistent with the concept that slicing leads to immediate damage to tissue membranes and that "aging" is a process of membrane repair, involving renewed synthesis of membrane lipids and membrane proteins.The damage to membranes associated with cutting may involve wound ethylene. This is indicated by the following findings: Treatment of aged leaf strips with Ethrel (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid) resulted in drastic loss of their acquired uptake capacity. The strips recovered from such Ethrel-induced loss of uptake capacity while aging in CaSO4 as they can after cutting. Cerulenin halted recovery of uptake capacity after ethrel treatment just as it did after cutting. Treatment of leaves before cutting with amino-ethoxyvinylglycine somewhat improved the uptake performance of leaf strips immediately after excision.