The effects of calcium deficiency on the metabolism of tomato leaf tissue

Typescript.Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii, 1965.Bibliography: leaves [69]-72.v, 72 l illus., tablesThe present study is concerned with quantitative and qualitative differences in the chemical constituents of tomato leaf tissue which may result from a calcium deficiency. It is based on the premise that a deficiency will block the reactions catalyzed by enzymes which require the presence of calcium ions either for their synthesis or their structural integrity. If such is the case, the concentration of the substrate should be increased while that of the product be decreased. It is also possible that changes in concentrations will initiate alternate pathways of metabolism. Short-term photosynthetic experiments with C14O2 result in the labeling of a large number of compounds within the leaf. The formation of these compounds and their subsequent transformations during 6 hour respiration in the dark has been studied in both normal and calcium deficient leaf tissue. A comparison of the normal and the deficient tissues with regard to the compounds labeled and the degree to which they become labeled has been used to seek more specific information about the impairment due to a calcium deficiency in nutrition. Application of radio-carbon as a tracer and the use of paper chromatography and radio-autographic techniques have simplified the detection and identification of the products of metabolism which are difficult to analyze by conventional chemical methods