Inhibition of inward rectifying tonoplast channels by a vacuolar factor: physiological and kinetic implications

Regulation of ion-channel activity must take place in order to regulate ion transport. In case of tonoplast ion channels, this is possible on both the cytoplasmic and the vacuolar side. Isolated vacuoles of young Vigna unguiculata seedlings show no or hardly any channel activity at tonoplast potentials greater than 80 mV, in the vacuole-attached configuration. When the configuration is changed to an excised patch or whole vacuole, a fast (excised patch) or slow (whole vacuole) increase of inward rectifying channel activity is seen. This increase is accompanied by a shift in the voltage-dependent gating to less hyperpolarized potentials. In the whole vacuole configuration the level of inward current increases and also the activation kinetics changes. Induction of channel activity takes up to 20 min depending on the age of the plants used and the diameter of the vacuole. On the basis of the estimated diffusion velocities, it is hypothesized that a compound with a mol wt of 20,000 to 200,000 is present in vacuoles of young seedlings, which shifts the population of channels to a less voltage-sensitive state.