Determination of Progesterone in Vegetative Organs and Cell Organelles of ConvaUaria majalis L. by Radioimmunoassay

Progesterone was extracted from leaves and subterranean parts o f Convallaria majalis L. and quantified by radioimmunoassay. During the stage o f flowering the content o f progesterone in rhizomes was by a factor o f four higher than in leaves and by a factor o f ten higher than in roots, whereas five weeks later the level o f progesterone was unchanged in rhizomes and roots but was elevated in the leaves. The change in progesterone distribution is discussed in relation to the development o f the plants. At the subcellular level the mitochondrial and microsomal fractions contained the largest quantity o f progesterone in leaf cells. However, significant amounts were also found in the 2 0 0 0 x g fraction comprising nuclei and chloroplasts.