On the Free Amino Acids and the Catalase Activity in the Club-Root Tissue of Crucifers

The differences in free amino acids in the club-root tissue and in the healthy tissue of Chinese cabbage were detected by paper chromatography, and the cata-lase activities in both tissues of the plant were measured by WARBURG's manome-tric technique. Amino acids found in the healthy root tissue of Chinese cabbage were as follows: alanine, valine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, cystine, and asparagine(amide), while in the club-root tissue, glycine, arginine, and leucine were found in addition to the amino acids detected in the former. Especially such amino acids as alanine, valine and asparagine were detected in much more quantity in the infected tissue than in the healthy tissue, although glutamic acid in the club-root was shown less than in the healthy. The quantity of aspartic acid in the infected tissue seemed to be indefinite according to the stage of abnormal growth. Catalase activities in the club-root tissue was about 7 times greater than that in the healthy root tissue. As catalase activity correlates with the respiratory metabolism the former seems to play a significant role in the mechanism of abnor-mal hypertrophy of the club-root tissue.