Uptake and fate of IAA in apple callus tissue using IAA-1-14C

Incubation of young growing and older non-growing apple callus tissues in a medium containing IAA-1-14C resulted in rapid disappearance of the IAA. In old calluses (3 months), the major portion of IAA was lost by decarboxylation (90% after 4 hr) and very little (1.4%) was maintained by the tissue. In young calluses, after 4 hr in light, decarboxylation reached 20% and absorption 35% of the labelled IAA. Some decomposition of IAA was caused by photolysis and autoclaving (19% and 3%, respectively) but the final distribution of radioactivity was not affected. Factors such as sucrose concentration in the incubation medium, distilled water as incubation medium, and cutting of the callus did not affect tissue behavior. Special precautions were taken to eliminate non-biological decomposition of IAA. Therefore, we believe that the rapid CO2 evolution is of enzymatic nature. This theory is supported by the drop in decarboxylation after killing of the callus, and the increase of decarboxylation with age. No enzyme was secreted by the callus into the medium after 24 hr of incubation, and IAA decomposition in old tissues is done probably on the surface. Absorption of IAA increased with increasing callus size and decarboxylation decreased. (auth.)