Certain aspects of the chemotaxic reaction of chloroplasts in Funaria hygrometrica

Abstract

1.The investigations here described were undertaken in order to establish whether the products of glycine oxidation - a reaction catalysed by the specific glycine oxidase - when applied in the external environment of Funaria hygrometrica leaves and penetrating into the leaf cells – have a chemoinductive effect on chloroplast translocation. 2.The experiments were performed both in light and in darkness with glyoxalate and glycine, and with NH₄ and H₂O₂ only in light. 3.Glyoxalate (10^-4M) exhibits a marked chemoinductive effect both in light and darkness, whereas glycine only in light, the remaining above mentioned compounds show no activity. 4.Other compounds with a similar chemical structure such as glycollate, glyoxal, oxalic acid and acetic acid were tested. None of them influence chloroplast translocation in Funaria leaves.