The wound response in the siphonous algaCaulerpa simpliciuscula C. Ag.: II. The effect of wounding on carbon flow

Abstract

Following on from a previous study on changes in cytology and fine structure during the wound response in the siphonous green algaCaulerpa simpliciuscula (Dreher, Grant, andWetherbee 1978), changes in the carbon metabolism during this wound response have been studied. There was a decrease in the rate of photosynthesis and an increase in the rate of respiration immediately on wounding, but rates of both photosynthesis and respiration returned to those of unwounded tissues within 6 hours. Wounding depressed the rate of starch synthesis and sucrose synthesis but increased the rate of synthesis of soluble 1,3 s-glucan, lipid and sulphated polysaccharide. When the flow of carbon from these various compounds was studied by means of pulse chase experiments, it was found that only sucrose and sulphated polysaccharide showed different kinetics in control and wounded tissue. The changes which were observed are consistent with the direct involvement of sulphated polysaccharides in the formation of structures formed during the wound healing process.