ETHANOL-METABOLISM IN SUSPENSION CULTURED CARROT CELLS

Ethanol production in plant tissues deprived of oxygen is a well known process. Nevertheless, little information is available on the toxic effects of ethanol on plant cells and tissues, or on the possible role of acetaldehyde, the first oxidative product of ethanol, in inducing toxic effects in plants. Data on the metabolism of ethanol in suspension cultured cells of carrot (Daucus carota L. cv. S. Valery, cell line T22), a system highly sensitive to the presence of ethanol in the culture medium, indicate that carrot cells oxidize only small amounts of ethanol to CO2. Instead, they convert ethanol mainly to acetaldehyde, which accumulates in the culture medium. This suggests a possible role of acetaldehyde in causing ethanol-induced injury to carrot cells.