VIEW ARTICLE

Physiology and Biochemistry

Quantitative Histochemistry of Nematode-Induced Transfer Cells. Fred J. Gommers, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Nematology, Agricultural University, Binnenhaven 10, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Victor H. Dropkin, Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65201. Phytopathology 67:869-873. Accepted for publication 12 January 1977. Copyright © 1977 The American Phytopathological Society, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121. All rights reserved.. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-67-869.

Determinations of metabolites in Meloidogyne-induced giant cells and Heterodera-induced syncytia were made by Lowry’s ultra-micro analytical techniques. Samples of 5-50 ng were dissected from lyophilized frozen sections and metabolite concentrations were determined by quantitative conversion to pyridine nucleotides. These in turn were subjected to “enzymatic cycling” and measured fluorometrically. Both giant cells and syncytia in soybean had concentrations of ATP, G-6-P, and protein comparable to those of actively growing root tip tissue but contained about four times more glucose. Free amino acids were more concentrated in giant cells than in syncytia. Compared to controls, giant cells of garden balsam had higher concentrations of ATP, G-6-P, and glucose, and slightly higher concentrations of free amino acids. From these data we conclude that both pathogen and host influence the altered metabolite concentrations in giant cells and syncytia.