A chloride-permeable channel from Phaseolus vulgaris roots incorporated into planar lipid bilayers

Ion channels are key participants in physiological processes of plant cells. Here, we report the first characterization of a high conductance, Cl(-)-permeable channel, present in enriched fractions of plasma membranes of bean root cells. The Cl(-) channel was incorporated into planar lipid bilayers and its activity was recorded under voltage clamp conditions. The channel is voltage-dependent, excludes the passage of cations (K(+), Na(+), and Ca(2+)), and is inhibited by micromolar concentrations of Zn(2+). The Cl(-) conductance here characterized represents a previously undescribed channel of plant cells.