Production and fractionation of14CO2 labeled smooth cordgrass,Spartina alterniflora

Abstract

A simple chamber for use in radioactive carbon labeling of plants is described and used to successfully labelSpartina alterniflora. The plant material contained 5.5±1.3 μc/g (dry) after a 1-week pulse. The plant was chemically fractionated and the mean activity (±standard error) was determined in four biochemical fractions: fiber =2.6±0.7 μc/g (dry), organic acid = 2.6±0.1 μc/g (dry), protein/nucleic acid =2.4±0.5 μc/g (dry), and lipid =27.3±6.2 μc/g (dry). The high activity of the lipid fraction indicates that it may serve as a carbon storage pool in the plant under the described growing conditions. The simple, low cost chamber can be used for plant biochemistry experiments, and for the production of labeled detritus and plant fractions.