Inhibition of protein synthesis and of auxin-induced growth by chloramphenicol.

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Abstract
Chloramphenicol inhibits cell expansion induced by indoleacetic acid and synthetic auxins in a variety of tissues, including etiolated pea stem, oat coleoptile and artichoke tuber sections. The large promotion of respiration caused by auxin in aged artichoke tuber disks was completely blocked by chloramphenicol, whereas the established respiration of the water controls was not impaired. No signs of general toxicity were observed and artichoke tuber disks treated with chloramphenicol and then washed were able to recover their ability to respond to auxin. The same concentrations of chloramphenicol which inhibited auxin-induced growth also inhibited protein synthesis in the tissues studied. The percentage inhibition of protein synthesis by a given chloramphenicol concentration was very closely similar to the percentage inhibition of auxin-induced growth in oat coleoptile sections. Continued protein synthesis is, therefore, considered to be essential to auxin-induced cell enlargement. All the evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that auxinacts by inducing the formation of new proteins or enzymes.