Abstract. C,4, C15, and C16 alkyl nitriles, and C16 and C18 alkyl acetylenes at 10 to 105 micromolar concentrations promote the growth of stem sections from red-light-exposed seedlings of dwarf peas (Pisum sativum L. cv. Progress No. 9). Similar results were obtained with substances active as insect juvenile hormones, namely farnesol, the racemic ethyl ester of 1 of the natural hormones, -and a "synthetic juvenile hormone" mixture, the latter 2 having as high an activity in the pea assay as any lipid reported previously. A sterically nearly idenitical compound, methyl-RS-10,11-epoxyfarnesoate, is a weak insect hormone and did not promote plant growth. Thus activity in peas and in insects is in some cases parallel. Other similarities and some differences are discussed. Peas appear to require molecules longer than 20A, while insect activity is maximal at that length. All active molecules are ineffective in promoting pea stem elongation by themselves, indole acetic acid must also be present. The lipid effect in plants and the juvenile hormone response in insects have much in common and the evidence suggests they could have a similar locus of action in a membrane controlling respiratory function. In this paper, our previous report that palmitonitrile is active in the bioassay is extended to other simple nitriles, and alkyl acetylenes also are shown to be active. In addition, the racemate of the ethyl ester of one of the natural insect juvenile hormones, as well as a synthetic mixture with juvenile hormone activity, are shown to be highly effective in promoting growth of pea stem sections. Materials and MethodsThe bioassay used has been described previously (32). Brieflv, 10 mm sections cut from just below the apex of 7 day old seedlings of dwarf peas (Pisum satizvum L. cv. Progress No. 9) which were grown at 250 under continuous extremely weak red light, are randomized and floated, 10 to a Petri dish, on 20 ml of 1.5 % sucrose solution buffered with 5 mM KH2PO, (pH 5.5)
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