Analytic studies in plant respiration VI—The relation of the respiration of potatoes to the concentration of sugars and to the accumulation of a depressant at Low temperatures Part 3—The relation of the respiration to the concentration of sucrose

Abstract

Since the R.Q. under the conditions of the expts. was unity, respiration was measured by CO2 output. Sucrose, glucose and fructose were detd. by Maskell''s modification of the Schaffer-Hartmann method at the storage temp. of 10[degree] C and at intervals during the expts. at [long dash]1[degree] and + 1[degree] C. Respiration was measured daily. Curves plotted from these determinations for respiration/glucose, respiration/fructose and respiration/total sugars relationships varied over a wide range. The respiration/sucrose curves, whether the ratio sucrose/hexose was increasing or decreasing, conformed to the rectangular hyperbola characteristic of the rate of reaction/substrate relation for enzyme reactions. Sucrose is therefore closely bound up with the substrate for respiration.