Cyanide stimulation of respiration of Acer pseudoplatanus cells in batch suspension culture and activation of the alternative pathway

Cyanide induces an immediate increase of the rate of oxygen uptake by Acer pseudoplatanus cells grown in batch culture. This increase is followed by a progressive decline. Salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) inhibits the oxygen uptake through the cyanide-insensitive alternate pathway. Antimycin A, oligomycin, and carbonyl-cyanide-p-trifluorometoxy-phenylhydrazone (FCCP), had the same effect as cyanide. The alternative pathway is induced by changes in the cytochromes pathway. When oxygen uptake, via the cytochrome pathway is reduced by a given amount, the uptake via the alternate pathway is increased by twice this amount. Several herbicides are found to strongly inhibit the alternate pathway.