A comparative study of membrane related phenomena in normal and crown gall tissues of red beet (Beta vulgaris L.)

Abstract

Divalent metal ions have been found to protect membranes of red beet crown gall tissue more than their adjacent normal regions from thermal or gamma radiation stress, suggesting the possibility of an alteration on the surface charge accompanying tumor formation in plants. Further, tumor tissue has been observed to possess enhanced membrane ATPase activity, a higher tissue sulfhydryl content and increased protein levels, thus suggesting a model of 'source' (normal tissue) and 'sink' (tumor tissue) relationship. © 1982 Birkhäuser Verlag.