Inhibition of Rb+ uptake in yeast by Ca2+ is caused by a reduction in the surface potential and not in the Donnan potential of the cell wall

Calculated activity of Mn2+ at the outer surface of the root cell plasma membrane governs Mn nutrition of cowpea seedlings

Manganese (Mn) is an essential micronutrient for plant growth but is often toxic in acid or waterlogged soils. Using cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) grown with 0.05-1500 μM Mn in solution, two short-term (48 h) solution culture experiments examined if the effects of cations (Ca, Mg, Na, Al, or H) on Mn nutrition are related to the root cells' plasma membrane (PM) surface potential, ψ(0)(0). When grown in solutions containing levels of Mn that were toxic, both relative root elongation rate (RRER) and root tissue Mn concentration were more closely related to the activity of Mn(2+) at the outer surface of the PM, {Mn(2+)}(0)(0) (R(2)=0.812 and 0.871) than to its activity in the bulk solution, {Mn(2+)}(b) (R(2)=0.673 and 0.769). This was also evident at lower levels of Mn (0.05-10 μM) relevant to studies investigating Mn as an essential micronutrient (R(2)=0.791 versus 0.590). In addition, changes in the electrical driving force for ion transport across the PM influenced both RRER and the Mn concentration in roots. The {Mn(2+)}(b) causing a 50% reduction in root growth was found to be c. 500 to >1000 μM (depending upon solution composition), whilst the corresponding value was 3300 μM when related to {Mn(2+)}(0)(0). Although specific effects such as competition are not precluded, the data emphasize the importance of non-specific electrostatic effects in the Mn nutrition of cowpea seedlings over a 1×10(5)-fold range of Mn concentration in solution.

Possible influence of cell walls upon ion concentrations at plasma membrane surfaces. Toward a comprehensive view of cell-surface electrical effects upon ion uptake, intoxication, and amelioration

Plant uptake of ions, intoxication by ions, and the alleviation of intoxication by other ions often correlate poorly with ion concentrations in the rooting medium. By contrast, uptake, intoxication, and alleviation correlate well with ion concentrations at the plasma membrane (PM) surface computed as though the PM were bathed directly in the rooting medium with no effect from the cell wall (CW). According to two separate lines of analysis, a close association of CWs and PMs results in a slight increase in cation concentrations and a slight decrease in anion concentrations at the PM surface compared with concentrations when the CW is separated or has no effect. Although slightly different, the ion concentrations at the PM surface computed with and without close association with the CW are highly correlated. Altogether, the CW would appear to have a small effect upon ion uptake by the PM or upon intoxication or alleviation of intoxication originating at the PM surface. These analyses have been enabled by the recent evaluation of parameters required for the electrostatic models (Gouy-Chapman-Stern and Donnan-plus-binding) used to compute electrical potentials and ion concentrations in CWs and at PM surfaces.

Measurement of trace metal influx in plants: a case study with Co

The analysis of transport systems involved in the uptake of trace metals in plants is complicated by technical difficulties associated with measurement of uptake and by the likely presence of multiple transporters with broad specificity. In this study, influx of Co was used to illustrate the problems involved and potential solutions. Issues surrounding kinetic descriptions of transport, multiple uptake systems, specificity of transporters, pH effects and the role of membrane surface charge in determining fluxes are addressed. A list of criteria for validation of flux measurements is provided.

Computation of surface electrical potentials of plant cell membranes . Correspondence To published zeta potentials from diverse plant sources

A Gouy-Chapman-Stern model has been developed for the computation of surface electrical potential (psi0) of plant cell membranes in response to ionic solutes. The present model is a modification of an earlier version developed to compute the sorption of ions by wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv Scout 66) root plasma membranes. A single set of model parameters generates values for psi0 that correlate highly with published zeta potentials of protoplasts and plasma membrane vesicles from diverse plant sources. The model assumes ion binding to a negatively charged site (R- = 0.3074 &mgr;mol m-2) and to a neutral site (P0 = 2.4 &mgr;mol m-2) according to the reactions R- + IZ &rlharr; RIZ-1 and P0 + IZ &rlharr; PIZ, where IZ represents an ion of charge Z. Binding constants for the negative site are 21, 500 M-1 for H+, 20,000 M-1 for Al3+, 2,200 M-1 for La3+, 30 M-1 for Ca2+ and Mg2+, and 1 M-1 for Na+ and K+. Binding constants for the neutral site are 1/180 the value for binding to the negative site. Ion activities at the membrane surface, computed on the basis of psi0, appear to determine many aspects of plant-mineral interactions, including mineral nutrition and the induction and alleviation of mineral toxicities, according to previous and ongoing studies. A computer program with instructions for the computation of psi0, ion binding, ion concentrations, and ion activities at membrane surfaces may be requested from the authors.

Electrophoretic heterogeneity of pigmented hamster melanoma cells

Pigmented hamster melanoma tumors growing in situ contain two subpopulations of melanoma cells that have different electrophoretic mobilities (EPM). A mild neuraminidase treatment, which removes sialic acid residues from the cell surface glycoproteins, reduces the EPM of both groups of melanoma cells yielding an electrophoretically uniform population. This shows that the differences in the EPM between the subpopulations of pigmented melanoma cells stem from the different content of sialic acid residues on the cell surface. The relationship between the different EPM melanoma cell subpopulations was, therefore, examined during tumor growth, development, and formation of metastases. The relative content of cells having high electrophoretic mobility, the "fast moving" cells, increases as the tumors grow larger. However, tumors of the same diameter contain nearly the same fraction of "fast moving" cells despite their age. The proportion of the "fast moving" cells is significantly higher in the central part than in the outermost layer of pigmented melanoma tumors. These data suggest that the development of "fast moving" cells is promoted by some size-dependent changes in the intratumor environment. In vivo selection of melanoma cells for their ability to colonize lungs renders tumors that reveal elevated metastatic potential and contain a significantly higher fraction of cells possessing high electrophoretic mobility than the parent tumor. Moreover, the metastatic nodules contain a remarkably elevated fraction of the "fast moving" cells. The reported correlation between the "fast moving" cell fraction and the metastatic potential suggests that the relative content of cells having high electrophoretic mobility may determine the metastaticity of pigmented hamster melanoma.

Physical properties of the cell wall of photoautotrophic suspension cells fromChenopodium rubrum L

Photoautotrophic suspension cells ofChenopodium rubrum were used to determine Donnan potential, charge density and pore-radius distribution in the cell wall. Experiments were done either with turgescent cells or with isolated cell walls. Titration of a cell-wall-generated 9-aminoacridine fluorescence quench with salts of mono- and divalent cations was used to determine Donnan potential and charge density. The experiments and theory were adapted from measurements of membrane surface charges. A tenfold increase in ionic strength, which decreases the repellant forces between charges of the same sign, led to an approximately threefold increase in the measured charge density, thus resulting in a much smaller decrease of the Donnan potential than would be expected if the charge density remained fixed. This decreased influence of ionic strength on the Donnan potential, resulting from the elasticity of the cell wall, was also measurable but less pronounced when the wall of intact cells was stretched by turgor. The porosity of the cell wall was determined by longterm uptake of polyethylene glycols of different molecular weights, and by gel filtration of polyethylene glycols and dextrans as well as mono- and disaccharides using intact suspension cells as matrix. Both methods gave a mean pore diameter of about 4.5 nm and a maximum pore size of 5.5 nm. The resulting pores-size distribution was slightly broader with the latter method.

The effect of mercuric salts on the electro-rotation of yeast cells and comparison with a theoretical model

The rotational spectrum of yeast cells changed after pre-treatment of the cells with HgCl2 or Hg(NO3)2 and became indistinguishable from that of ultrasonically produced cell walls. The spectrum of the affected cells contained a peak which could only be explained by attributing a conductivity to the cell walls that was higher than that of the medium. Theoretical models of the rotational response are fully in accord with the experimental spectra. It is shown that the rotation method is capable of measuring even the low cell wall conductivity of yeast cells (which was found to be 33 microS/cm at 10 microS/cm medium conductivity). Knowledge of the spectra allowed a field frequency to be selected at which untreated cells showed no rotation, but at which cells affected by treatment with Hg(II) identified themselves by rotating in the same direction as the field. Calculation of the percentage of cells showing this co-field rotation gave an index (termed the co-field rotation value) of the proportion of the cells that were affected. Using this technique, effects of 25 nmol/l Hg(II) could be demonstrated. In media of low conductivity (10 microS/cm) the change in the rotational spectrum was usually 'all-or-none', whereas at 200 microS/cm a graded Hg(II)-mediated change became apparent. The co-field rotation method showed that the action of small quantities of Hg(II) was still increasing after 3 h of incubation and paralleled the Hg(II)-induced K+ release. A rapid reduction of the effects of Hg(II) was seen when 3-30 mM K+ (or Na+) or when 1 mM Ca2+ were present in the incubation medium, or as the pH was increased. At high incubation cell concentrations the toxic effect of Hg(II) was reduced, apparently due to binding by the cells.