This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Web of Science (31) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Glass, A. D. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Glass, A. D. M. Agricola Articles by Glass, A. D. M.

Articles

Influence of Excision and Aging upon K⁺ Influx into Barley Roots

Recovery or Enhancement? ¹

Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

The influx of K⁺ from ⁸⁶Rb-labeled solutions in the concentration range 0.008 to 0.2 mM into roots of intact plants and excised roots of barley plants (Hordeum vulgare [L.]) previously grown in 5 mM CaSO₄ (low K⁺ roots) or 0.5 mM CaSO₄ plus 5 mM KCl (high K⁺ roots) was measured. A consistent observation of these experiments was a substantial reduction of influx (usually by about 50%) following excision. The possible leakage of K⁺ into the medium and subsequent dilution of specific activity of labeled solutions was eliminated as an explanation for influx reduction in excised low K⁺ roots. Reduction of transpirational rates was also without effect upon influx into low K⁺ roots. Excision followed by 2 hours aging in 0.5 mM CaSO₄ solution revealed that influx values recovered within the 2 hours to the values obtained in intact roots. It is concluded that much of the literature which describes the enhancement of ion uptake following excision actually describes excision damage followed by recovery.