Summary
1. A roughly quantitative technique for studying uptake and translocation of the antibiotic griseofulvin by wheat plants has been devised. Wheat plants were grown in nutrient solutions containing griseofulvin and translocation measured by bioassay of the griseofulvin appearing in the guttation drops induced by transfer to a humid atmosphere.
2. Griseofulvin was phytotoxic at concentrations of 5 µg/ml and above, the first symptoms observed being stunting and swelling of the roots.
3. The concentration of griseofulvin in the guttation drops was directly related to the concentration in the nutrient solution; there was evidence of griseofulvin accumulation in the leaves, the concentration in the guttation drops being frequently higher than that in the nutrient solution.
4. Atmospheric conditions favouring transpiration increased uptake and translocation of griseofulvin.
5. Uptake and translocation of griseofulvin was inhibited by inclusion of respiratory enzyme inhibitors in the nutrient solution.
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Stokes, A. Uptake and translocation of griseofulvin by wheat seedlings. Plant Soil 5, 132–142 (1954). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01343846
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01343846