Observations on the Uptake and Translocation of Five Actinomycete Antibiotics by Cucumber Seedlings

The uptake and translocation of five actinomycete antibiotics by cucumber seedlings has been investigated by qualitative and quantitative techniques. Chloromycetin and streptomycin were absorbed from nutrient solution by the root system of cucumber seedlings and translocated to the leaves. The streptomycin concentration of leaf tissue increased with time to a level above that in the nutrient solution, whereas the chloromycetin concentration tended to remain constant at a level below that in the nutrient environment. Chloromycetin and streptomycin were identified in the leaf tissue of treated seedlings by paper chromatography. No convincing evidence of uptake and translocation of aureomycin, neomycin or terramycin was obtained.