Soluble sugars, respiration, and energy charge during aging of excised maize root tips

Oxygen uptake and energy charge were monitored during aging of excised maize root tips and related to the soluble sugar content and exogenous sugar supply. Oxygen uptake declined immediately after excision to 50 to 30% of its initial value after 8 and 24 hours of aging at 25 C. There was also a sharp decline of the total sugar content (glucose, fructose, and sucrose). Starch content was very low at the time of excision and almost negligible 5 hours later. During the same period, the respiratory quotient declined from 1 to 0.75 and then remained stable. The addition of exogenous sugars induced a rapid rise of the respiratory rate which stabilized at a level correlated to the external sugar concentration. Addition of 0.2 molar glucose was necessary to restore the respiratory rate to the initial, also the maximum, level. These results indicate that metabolic activity of root tips is highly reliant on sugar import and carbohydrate reserves at the time of excision cannot compensate for the cessation of import. The control of respiration by substrate supply is in good agreement with the failure for dinitrophenol to stimulate oxygen uptake in aged sugar-depleted root tips. The energy charge remained constant at about 0.9, irrespective of the presence or absence of glucose and in spite of a large decline of respiratory activity in aged, sugar-depleted tissues.