MERCURIC-CHLORIDE INDUCED MEMBRANE DAMAGE IN TOMATO CULTURED-CELLS

Suspension cultures of tomato cells were used to study the membrane in jury by the toxic concentration of mercuric chloride. Assessment of el ectrolyte leakage, UV-absorbance of the tissue leachates, relative lea kage ratio, injury index, membrane lipid peroxidation, Lipoxygenase ac tivity, alpha-amino nitrogen and total soluble carbohydrate contents s howed the extent of membrane damage as a function of the increasing co ncentration of mercuric chloride. It is suggested that the selected pa rameters can be used as qualitative tests for determination of stress- induced membrane damage.