Content of adenine nucleotides and orthophosphate in exporting and importing mature maize leaves.

Events of reactivation by re-illumination were studied in predarkened detached mature maize leaves, which were arranged as distal sources and proximal sinks; the latter were kept in CO(2)-free atmosphere and were either illuminated or darkened. Adenine nucleotide (AdN) content and orthophosphate (Pi) concentrations were measured 10 minutes, 30 minutes, and 2, 7, and 14 hours after the onset of re-illumination. For comparison, mature leaves attached to the plant were analyzed.The sum of AdN increased up to 7 hours of re-illumination, then dark sinks and their sources showed decreasing amounts of AdN, while the increase continued up to 14 hours in sources and illuminated sinks. In leaves attached to the plant, no further increase in AdN level followed the 7-hour mark. The amount of individual AdN (ATP, ADP, AMP) differed considerably in sources and sinks of the detached leaves. Although both the source supplying the illuminated sink and the source supplying the dark sink were treated the same, they showed striking differences in AdN contents. Such relations were also observed, when ATP/ADP ratios and Pi concentrations were compared. The influence a sink can exert on its source suggests a participation of the physiological events in the sink on the regulation of AdN and Pi metabolism in the source.