Plant Physiology 64:512-518 (1979)
© 1979 American Society of Plant Biologists
Articles
Natural H+ Currents Traverse Growing Roots and Root Hairs of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) 1
Manfred H. Weisenseel2,
Alfred Dorn2 and
Lionel F. Jaffe
a Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
With the aid of an extracellular vibrating electrode, natural electric fields were detected and measured in the medium near growing roots and root hairs of barley seedlings. An exploration of these fields indicates that both the root as a whole, as well as individual root hairs, drive large steady currents through themselves. Current consistently enters both the main elongation zone of the root as well as the growing tips of elongating root hairs; it leaves the surface of the root beneath the root hairs. These currents enter with a density of about 2 microamperes per square centimeter, leave with a density of about 0.5 to 1 microampere per square centimeter, and total about 30 nanoamperes.
Responses of the natural fields to changes in the ionic composition of the medium as well as observations of the pH pattern in the medium near the roots (made with bromocresol purple) together indicate that much of the current consists of hydrogen ions. Altogether, H+ ions seem to leak into growing cells or cell parts and to be pumped out of nongrowing ones.
2 Present address: Institut für Botanik und Pharmazeutische Biologie der Universität Erlangen-Nurnberg Schlossgarten 4, D-8520 Erlangen, Federal Republic Germany.
1 This study was supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungs-gemeinschaft to MW and AD and by a grant from the National Science Foundation to LJ.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
|
|
 
A. J. BLOOM, J. FRENSCH, and A. R. TAYLOR
Influence of Inorganic Nitrogen and pH on the Elongation of Maize Seminal Roots
Ann. Bot.,
May 1, 2006;
97(5):
867 - 873.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. Fan and P. M. Neumann
The Spatially Variable Inhibition by Water Deficit of Maize Root Growth Correlates with Altered Profiles of Proton Flux and Cell Wall pH
Plant Physiology,
August 1, 2004;
135(4):
2291 - 2300.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
O. Artieda and J. Herrero
Pedogenesis in Lutitic Cr Horizons of Gypsiferous Soils
Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J.,
September 1, 2003;
67(5):
1496 - 1506.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. Cárdenas, T. L. Holdaway-Clarke, F. Sánchez, C. Quinto, J. A. Feijó, J. G. Kunkel, and P. K. Hepler
Ion Changes in Legume Root Hairs Responding to Nod Factors
Plant Physiology,
June 1, 2000;
123(2):
443 - 452.
[Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. S. Peters and H. H. Felle
The Correlation of Profiles of Surface pH and Elongation Growth in Maize Roots
Plant Physiology,
November 1, 1999;
121(3):
905 - 912.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Degenhardt, P. B. Larsen, S. H. Howell, and L. V. Kochian
Aluminum Resistance in the Arabidopsis Mutant alr-104 Is Caused by an Aluminum-Induced Increase in Rhizosphere pH
Plant Physiology,
May 1, 1998;
117(1):
19 - 27.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. Bibikova, T Jacob, I Dahse, and S Gilroy
Localized changes in apoplastic and cytoplasmic pH are associated with root hair development in Arabidopsis thaliana
Development,
January 8, 1998;
125(15):
2925 - 2934.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. Parton, S Fischer, R Malho, O Papasouliotis, T. Jelitto, T Leonard, and N. Read
Pronounced cytoplasmic pH gradients are not required for tip growth in plant and fungal cells
J. Cell Sci.,
January 5, 1997;
110(10):
1187 - 1198.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. J. MULKEY and M. L. EVANS
Geotropism in Corn Roots: Evidence for Its Mediation by Differential Acid Efflux
Science,
April 3, 1981;
212(4490):
70 - 71.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
