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Articles

L-Malate as an Essential Component of the Xylem Fluid of Corn Seedling Roots ¹

^a Crop Science Department, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27650

Corn seedling xylem exudate has a pH of 5.30 ± 0.05 due to the presence of 10 millimolar malate which has a pK_a of 5.13. This concentration of malate tends to buffer the xylem fluid at this pH. Exogenous treatment of corn seedling roots with CaCl₂ caused a concentration-dependent decrease in the pH of the xylem fluid as well as a decrease in the volume of fluid secreted into the xylem. Exogenous 50 millimolar CaCl₂ decreased exudate volume to 8% of control within 0.5 hour. Nitrate and malate deposition into the xylem was prevented by pretreatment in 5 millimolar CaCl₂; nitrate deposition was resumed shortly after resumption of malate deposition. Fifty millimolar L-tartrate, an inhibitor of the Cl^–, malate-activated ATPase (in vitro) of the tonoplast, also decreased exudate volume as well as slightly lowering exudate pH. The osmolality of the exudate was found to be constant at 70 ± 11 milliosmomoles per kilogram in all treatments. Dixon plots (log of exudation rate versus pH of exudate) indicated a pK_a of 5.11 for the exudation process which is very close to the pK_a of L-malate (5.13). In addition, a Dixon plot of the L-glutamine deposition (L-glutamine being the major form of reduced nitrogen in the exudate) versus pH also indicated a pK_a near 5.15.

The pH optimum for glutamine transport into the xylem was 5.5. Deposition of glutamine into the xylem may be regulated by the xylem pH (5.30 ± 0.05) which in turn may be regulated by the presence of 10 millimolar malate. It is proposed that the transport of glutamine into the xylem may provide the driving force for the exudation process.

¹ This is Paper No. 5813 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, North Carolina 27650. It is also part of a thesis submitted by the senior author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree.