The auxin transport inhibitor methyl-2-chloro-9-hydroxyfluorene-9-carboxylate (CFM), a morphactin, inhibits negative geotropism, causes cellular swelling, and induces root hair formation in roots of intact Pisum sativum L. seedlings. In excised pea root tips, CFM inhibits elongation more than increase in fresh weight (swell ratio = 1.3 at 20 /Am CFM). CFM growth inhibition was expressed in the presence of ethylene. (14)(15)(16)(23)(24)(25) indicates that some chemicals may inhibit auxin transport by interfering with auxin binding at auxin-specific receptor sites. CFM2 effects on geotropism, phototropism, apical dominance, and hypocotyl curvature correlate with the ability of this morphactin to inhibit auxin transport (6,7,18,20,21,27 then conducted in 10-liter desiccators as described elsewhere (8). Downward curvature of the root tips was measured at different time periods. After 24 hr, photomicrographs were made of freehand longitudinal sections taken from the elongation zones of the roots.Growth Studies and Ethylene Evolution. Ten terminal 5-mm sections from 3-day-old seedlings (roots 5-6 cm long) were incubated in sealed 125-ml Erlenmeyer flasks as described previously (8) except that 6 ml of an incubation medium (pH 5.2) containing 5 mm dibasic potassium phosphate, 2 mm citric acid, 1 mm Ca(NO,)2-4H20, 1 % sucrose (w/v), and appropriate concentrations of CFM or IAA were used. Ethylene evolution was assayed by gas chromatography using a flame ionization detector (1).Studies with '4C-CFM and "4C Auxins. Tissue sections were incubated as described above, except that the buffer also contained 9-'4C-CFM (10.4 mCi/mmole, Cela Merck, Ingelheim, Germany), 1-14C-IAA (8.9 mCi/mmole, New England Nuclear), or I-"4C-2,4-D (3.03 mCi/mmole, Tracerlab). Radioactivity in the incubation medium was determined by counting an aliquot by liquid scintillation. After a given incubation period, radioactivity in the gas phase was determined by bubbling a 10-ml gas sample into 3 ml of NCS tissue solubilizer, then counting by liquid scintillation. The solution was then filtered, and the tissue was rinsed with ice water. After blotting and weighing, the sections were placed in a scintillation vial containing 2 ml of NCS tissue solubilizer. The vial was shaken at 45 C at least 4 hr. The radioactivity which had accumulated in the sections was then determined by liquid scintillation counting.Metabolism of '4C-CFM was studied by homogenizing rinsed roots at 4 C in 5 ml of 50 mm potassium phosphate buffer, pH 6.8. The brei was extracted twice with 10 ml of chloroform. After evaporation of the chloroform under reduced pressure, the residue was dissolved in 50 kdI of acetone. This residue and 4C-CFM were co-chromatographed separately with unlabeled CFM on an Eastman silica gel sheet. After development in benzene-glacial acetic acid (4:1, v/v), the chromatogram was cut into 1-cm strips. Each strip was placed directly into a vial for counting of the radioactivity by liquid scintillation.
RESULTSCFM rapidly inhibited the normal geotropi...