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 (11) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Schnapp, S. R. Articles by Hasegawa, P. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Schnapp, S. R. Articles by Hasegawa, P. M. Agricola Articles by Schnapp, S. R. Articles by Hasegawa, P. M.

Environmental and Stress Physiology

Carbon Use Efficiency and Cell Expansion of NaCl-Adapted Tobacco Cells ¹

Center for Plant Environmental Stress Physiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, Department of Horticulture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907

Carbon use efficiencies (gram cell organic dry weight accumulated per gram sugar assimilated from the medium) of unadapted and NaCl-adapted (428 millimolar) cells of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. var Wisconsin 38) were determined to evaluate metabolic costs associated with growth and survival in a saline environment. No net increase in carbon costs was associated with salt adaptation. At low substrate levels, carbon use efficiencies of unadapted and NaCl-adapted cells were not appreciably different (0.495 and 0.422, respectively) and at higher substrate levels carbon use efficiency of NaCl-adapted cells was clearly higher than that of unadapted cells. These results indicate that a homeostasis of metabolic efficiency is established after cells have adapted to NaCl. Altered carbon availability does not cause the reduced cell volume that results from adaptation to NaCl. This does not preclude, however, the possibility that altered intracellular partitioning of carbon affects cell expansion.