Oligomycin effect on ion absorption by excised barley roots and on their ATP content

B Jacoby1, O E Plessner

  • 1Department of plant Physiology, The Hebrew University, Rehovot, Israel.

Planta
|February 7, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Chloride absorption in barley roots is more sensitive to oligomycin in dilute solutions. This suggests oligomycin interferes with cellular energy production, impacting ion transport.

Area of Science:

  • Plant Physiology
  • Ion Transport Mechanisms
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Understanding ion absorption in plants is crucial for agriculture and plant science.
  • Oligomycin is known to inhibit mitochondrial ATP synthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of oligomycin on chloride, potassium (K+), and sodium (Na+) absorption in barley roots.
  • To explore the relationship between ATP levels and ion transport under oligomycin treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Excised barley roots were used to measure ion absorption from solutions of varying concentrations.
  • Oligomycin was applied to assess its impact on ion uptake.
  • ATP content in root tissues was quantified.

Main Results:

  • Chloride absorption from dilute solutions exhibited higher oligomycin sensitivity compared to concentrated solutions.
  • Oligomycin significantly reduced ATP content in barley roots.
  • K+ and Na+ absorption showed less sensitivity to oligomycin across different solution concentrations.

Conclusions:

  • Oligomycin's inhibitory effect on chloride absorption is linked to its interference with cellular energy metabolism (ATP production).
  • The findings suggest distinct mechanisms or energy dependencies for the absorption of different ions in barley roots.

Related Concept Videos

ATP Driven Pumps I: An Overview01:27

ATP Driven Pumps I: An Overview

ATP-driven pumps, also known as transport ATPases, are integral membrane proteins. They have binding sites for ATP located on the membrane's cytosolic side and the ion-conducting domain in the transmembrane region. These pumps use the free energy released from ATP hydrolysis to move the solutes across cell membranes against an electrochemical gradient.
There are four main types of ATP-driven pumps - P-type, V-type, F-type, and ABC transporter. All these pumps are of varying complexities and...
8.0K
Water and Mineral Acquisition02:34

Water 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.
24.3K
Methods for Studying Drug Absorption: In vitro01:16

Methods for Studying Drug Absorption: In vitro

In vitro experiments are crucial for understanding the transport and absorption of drugs through biological materials. These studies employ varied methods such as the diffusion cell method, the everted sac technique, and the everted ring technique.
The diffusion cell method uses a two-compartment cell, including a donor compartment with the drug solution, which simulates the environment where the drug is applied, and a receptor compartment with a buffer solution, which simulates the environment...
844
Pore Transport and Ion-Pair Transport01:17

Pore Transport and Ion-Pair Transport

Pore transport and ion-pair formation are critical mechanisms for the absorption and distribution of drugs in the body.
Pore transport, also known as convective transport, is a process where small molecules like urea, water, and sugars rapidly cross cell membranes as though there were channels or pores in the membrane. Although direct microscopic evidence is limited  but the concept of pores or channels is widely accepted based on physiological evidence. Despite the lack of direct...
1.6K
ATP Synthase: Mechanism01:48

ATP Synthase: Mechanism

In animals, the mitochondrial F1F0 ATP synthase is the key protein that synthesizes ATP molecules through a complex catalytic mechanism. While the nuclear genome encodes the majority of ATP synthase subunits, the mitochondrial genome encodes some of the enzyme's most critical components. The formation of this multi-subunit enzyme is a complex multi-step process regulated at the level of transcription, translation, and assembly. Defects in one or more of these steps can result in decreased...
16.0K
Tonicity in Plants01:20

Tonicity in Plants

Plant cells maintain appropriate osmotic balance in extreme conditions. For instance, plants in dry environments store water in vacuoles, limit the opening of their stoma, and have thick, waxy cuticles to prevent unnecessary water loss. Some species of plants that live in salty environments store salt in their roots. As a result, water osmosis occurs in the root from the surrounding soil.
Tonicity
Tonicity describes the capacity of a cell to lose or gain water depending on the solute...
25.5K