Lateral movement out of the sieve tubes and its effect on the (14)C translocation profile in Helianthus seedlings.

The profile of (14)C, that is the plot of log (radioactivity) against distance, down the stem of Helianthus seedlings was studied over the course of the first hour after feeding (14)C to a leaf. These seedlings are shown to accumulate a large proportion of the total (14)C present in the stem in an ethanol insoluble form. The effect of this accumulation on the shape of the profile is considered. The steep advancing front is similar in shape and behaviour in Helianthus and in plants which show little accumulation of insoluble (14)C but the later part of the profile is different in the two groups. This difference would be expected if lateral movement of (14)C out of the translocation stream were mainly irreversible in these Helianthus plants but mainly reversible in plants of the other group.