Related Concept Videos
02:12Short-distance Transport of Resources
Short-distance transport refers to transport that occurs over a distance of just 2-3 cells, crossing the plasma membrane in the process. Small uncharged molecules, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water, can diffuse across the plasma membrane on their own. In contrast, ions and larger molecules require the assistance of transport proteins due to their charge or size. Transport across membranes also occurs within individual cells, playing a variety of essential roles for the plant as a whole.
02:34Water and Mineral Acquisition
Specialized tissues in plant roots have evolved to capture water, minerals, and some ions from the soil. Roots exhibit a variety of branching patterns that facilitate this process. The outermost root cells have specialized structures called root hairs that increase the root surface, thus increasing soil contact. Water can passively cross into roots, as the concentration of water in the soil is higher than that of the root tissue. Minerals, in contrast, are actively transported into root cells.
02:03Xylem and Transpiration-driven Transport of Resources
The xylem of vascular plants distributes water and dissolved minerals that are taken up by the roots to the rest of the plant. The cells that transport xylem sap are dead upon maturity, and the movement of xylem sap is a passive process.
01:46The Apoplast and Symplast
Plant growth depends on its ability to take up water and dissolved minerals from the soil. The root system of every plant is equipped with the necessary tissues to facilitate the entry of water and solutes. The plant tissues involved in the transport of water and minerals have two major compartments - the apoplast and the symplast. The apoplast includes everything outside the plasma membrane of living cells and consists of cell walls, extracellular spaces, xylem, phloem, and tracheids. The...
02:02Phloem and Sugar Transport
Like many living organisms, plants have tissues that specialize in specific plant functions. For example, shoots are well adapted to rapid growth, while roots are structured to acquire resources efficiently. However, sugar production is primarily restricted to the photosynthetic cells that reside in the leaves of angiosperm plants. Sugar and other resources are transported from photosynthetic tissues to other specialized tissues by a process called translocation.
01:18Protein Transport to the Inner Chloroplast Membrane
Proteins targeted to the inner chloroplast membrane, or plastid proteins, are transported by two general pathways: the stop-transfer and the re-insertion or post-import pathways. Most plastid proteins carry N-terminal transit sequences and internal import sequences targeting it to the specific chloroplast subcompartment. Proteins targeted by the stop-transfer pathway have internal hydrophobic sequences that inhibit their translocation into the stroma. As a result, these precursors are arrested...
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13:14
Measuring Fluxes of Mineral Nutrients and Toxicants in Plants with Radioactive Tracers
Published on: August 22, 2014
Arsenite transport in plants.
Waqar Ali1, Stanislav V Isayenkov, Fang-Jie Zhao
1Biology Department, University of York, York, UK.
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences : CMLS
|April 8, 2009
Summary
Plants can transport toxic arsenic using specific proteins called aquaporins. Understanding this arsenic transport mechanism in plants is key to developing safer crops and reducing arsenic poisoning risks.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Plant Biology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Arsenic contamination from natural sources and human activities poses a global health risk.
- Plant uptake of arsenic through contaminated crops is a significant route of human exposure.
- Understanding plant arsenic transport is crucial for mitigating arsenic poisoning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in identifying plant proteins involved in arsenic transport.
- To evaluate the role of aquaporins, specifically nodulin26-like intrinsic proteins (NIPs), in arsenite transport.
- To explore the implications of these findings for developing arsenic-tolerant crops.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent research on arsenic transport in plants.
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Main Results:
- Aquaporins, particularly NIPs, have been identified as key proteins facilitating arsenite transport in plants.
- Evidence supports the role of NIPs in both the uptake and internal translocation of arsenite within plant tissues.
- These findings provide molecular insights into plant-arsenite interactions.
Conclusions:
- The identification of NIPs as arsenite transporters offers a new target for crop improvement.
- Harnessing knowledge of these transport mechanisms can lead to the development of crops with reduced arsenic accumulation.
- This research paves the way for strategies to enhance crop safety and reduce human health risks associated with arsenic exposure.