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Effects of Mercuric Chloride on the Hydraulic Conductivity of Tomato Root Systems (Evidence for a Channel-Mediated
1Department of Horticulture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-1165.
Abstract:
A pressure-flux approach was used to evaluate the effects of HgCl2 on water transport in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) roots. Addition of HgCl2 to a root-bathing solution caused a large and rapid reduction in pressure-induced root water flux; the inhibition was largely reversible upon addition of [beta]-mercaptoethanol. Root system hydraulic conductivity was reduced by 57%. There was no difference between treatments in the K+ concentration in xylem exudate. The results are consistent with the presence of a protein-mediated path for transmembrane water flow in tomato roots.
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