PLANT PHYSIOLOGY , Vol 108, Issue 3 1093-1098, Copyright © 1995 by American Society of Plant Biologists
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BIOCHEMISTRY AND ENZYMOLOGY |
Cu2+ Reduction by Tomato Root Plasma Membrane Vesicles
M. J. Holden, T. J. Crimmins Jr and R. L. Chaney
Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052 (M.J.H., T.J.C.)
Reduction of Cu2+ by plasma membrane vesicles isolated from tomato
(Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) roots was investigated. Plants were grown
in hydroponic culture with complete nutrition for 4 weeks or were deprived
of Fe for the last 7 d. Plasma membrane vesicles were prepared by aqueous
two-phase partitioning. Reduction of Cu, Fe, and ferricyanide by plasma
membrane vesicles was measured. An increase in the activity of all three
pyridine-nucleotide-dependent activities was noted in plasma membrane
preparations from Fe-deficient, compared to Fe-sufficient, plants.
Solubilization and chromatographic separation of two plasma membrane
electron transport systems indicated that the Fe-chelate reductase was
probably responsible for reduction of Cu. Assays used a variety of Cu
chelates, and for each the Cu activity in the assay was determined by the
program Geochem PC. The rate of reduction of Cu correlated with the level
of Cu activity, and results support the idea that free Cu2+ and not Cu
chelates may serve as the true substrate for reduction. Reduction was
observed only in assays in which Cu activity was equivalent to Cu-enriched
or Cu-toxic soils. These results suggest that reduction of Cu by tomato
root may have little or no physiological relevance under conditions
experienced by the root in the soil.