A CHEMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STUDY OF TRAUMATIN, A PLANT WOUND HORMONE

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Abstract
The authors have worked out a quantitative biol. assay for wound hormone activity, the method being based upon the size of intumescence formed by drops of the soln. containing wound hormone, when placed in the seed cavities of the pods of immature string bean pods. Solns. of high osmotic pressure as well as solns. of toxic substances may cause a small "wound hormone" reaction, due probably to the liberation of wound hormone from the test pod by these substances; large wound hormone reactions are caused only by the wound hormone. Of several leguminous pods investigated, those of Phaseolus vulgaris, var. Kentucky Wonder, brown seed, was the most reactive to wound hormone and hence most suitable for the quantitative test. Many natural products were assayed for wound hormone content; the bean pod is the best source of the substance. Bean pods were extracted and the extract fractionated until a fraction of constant chem. properties and constant biol. activity was obtained. The fraction thus isolated is not identical with any of the known plant growth factors, possesses high wound hormone activity, and for it the name "traumatin" is proposed.

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