Effect of lndolyl-3-acetic Acid on the Permeability of Membranes in Storage Tissue

Abstract

A STRIKING difference between the response of coleoptile tissue and storage tissue to applied auxin is that the former is immediate and the latter exhibits a lag period^1–3. Sperling and Laties⁴ have recently shown that in potato or Jerusalem artichoke tissue slices auxin response depends on the progress of metabolic changes associated with the lag period (ageing of tissue), and auxin had to be applied to fresh tissue to be effective. A similar characteristic feature of freshly cut storage tissue is that it requires the completion of a lag period before salt is accumulated. At least in the case of potassium this phenomenon was shown to be due to a reduction in the permeability of the outer cell membrane⁵.