EFFECTS OF INITIAL SUCROSE CONCENTRATION ON EXCRETION OF ANTHOCYANIN PIGMENTS IN SUSPENDED CULTURES OF PERILLA-FRUTESCENS CELLS

Cell cultures of Perilla frutescens, growing on Linsmaier and Skoog me dium, released more anthocyanin with 40 to 50 g sucrose/I compared wit h the control of 30 g sucrose/I of medium. More proteins were also rel eased into the medium with the higher sucrose concentration and the ce ll volume was smaller, suggesting that the higher osmotic pressure, ca used by the high sucrose concentration, may cause these releases. The capacitance of the cultured cells indicated a difference in membrane s tructure between the cells cultivated with different sucrose concentra tions, supporting the hypothesis that cell permeabilization is increas ed at higher sucrose concentrations.