Metabolism of proline in maize root tips

During an initial 3-h incubation period, maize root tips loose 62% of their soluble proline. When intact roots are presented with proline-UL- 14 C for 30 min and subsequently excised, 80% of that proline is used in 3 h. Sixty-six percent of the convertible proline is oxidized to glutamic, malic, succinic, and citric acids, 34% is incorporated into protein as proline during the initial 30-min pulse.