Potassium transport in wheat triticum aestivum cultivar martonvasari 8 potassium supplies 2. the effects of metabolic and transport inhibitors on potassium uptake and translocation
Olah, Z.; Berczi, A.; Erdei, L.
Physiologia Plantarum 55(3): 377-382
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0031-9317
DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-3054.1982.tb00308.x
Accession: 006156615
The K+(86Rb) uptake into the roots and the translocation to the shoots of 11-day-old intact wheat seedlings (T. aestivum L. cv. Martonvasari 8) were investigated using plants grown with different K+ supplies. The effects of environmental conditions (darkness and humidity) and of metabolic and transport inhibitors (oligomycin, disalicylidene-propanediamine, 2,4-dinitriphenol, diethylstilbestrol and colchicine) were also studied. Plants with K content of .apprx. 0.2 mmol/g dry wt in the root and 0.5 mmol/g dry wt in the shoot (low K status) showed high K+ uptake into the roots and high translocation rates to the shoots. Both transport processes were very low in plants with K content of > 1.5 and 2.2 mmol/g dry wt in the root and shoot, respectively (high K status). Darkness and a relative humidity of the air of 100% did not influence K+ uptake by roots, but did inhibit upward translocation and water transport. Inhibition of photosynthesis and treatments with diethylstilbestrol (10-5 mol/dm3), as well as with colchicine resulted in inhibition of translocation in plants of low K status, but these inhibitors had little effect on K+ uptake by the roots. Oligomycin, 2,4-Dinitrophenol and diethylstilbestrol (10-4 mol/dm3), however, inhibited K+ uptake by the roots. In general, K+ transport processes were almost unchanged in plants of high K status. Evidently, only plants of low K status operating with active K+ transport mechanisms are responsive to environmental factors. In high K+ plants the transport processes are passive and are uncoupled from the metabolic energy flow.