Chloramphenicol and Uptake of Salt in Plants

Abstract

THE antibiotic chloramphenicol inhibits the uptake of cations and anions by higher plant tissues when supplied at high concentrations (1–2 g/1.) (ref. 1). Since chloramphenicol specifically inhibits the synthesis of protein in bacteria², it has been suggested that this finding indicates a close connexion between salt uptake and protein synthesis in plants^1,3. However, when precautions are taken to avoid the complication introduced by the inhibition by chloramphenicol of the uptake of amino-acids, no effect of chloramphenicol on the incorporation of L-leucine or L-threonine into the trichloroacetic acid-insoluble fraction of beet slices can be demonstrated, although salt uptake is inhibited under the same conditions⁴. These results suggest that the action of chloramphenicol on plant tissues may not be mediated in the manner anticipated from studies on bacterial systems.