Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 3, 2026

Measuring Fluxes of Mineral Nutrients and Toxicants in Plants with Radioactive Tracers
Published on: August 22, 2014
Oligomycin effect on ion absorption by excised barley roots and on their ATP content
1Department of plant Physiology, The Hebrew University, Rehovot, Israel.
Abstract:
Chloride absorption by excised barley roots from dilute solutions is more oligomycin-sensitive than its absorption from more concentrated solutions and than K(+) and Na(+) absorption from dilute as well as concentrated solutions. Oligomycin decreased the ATP content of excised barley roots. The mode of oligomycin interference with ion absorption by plant cells is discussed.
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.
More Related Videos
12:48Measuring Cation Transport by Na,K- and H,K-ATPase in Xenopus Oocytes by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry: An Alternative to Radioisotope Assays
Published on: February 19, 2013
08:08Monitoring the Effect of Osmotic Stress on Secretory Vesicles and Exocytosis
Published on: February 19, 2018
Related Concept Videos
ATP Driven Pumps I: An Overview
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...
Water and Mineral Acquisition
Methods for Studying Drug Absorption: In vitro
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...
Pore Transport and Ion-Pair Transport
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...
ATP Synthase: Mechanism
Tonicity in Plants
Tonicity
Tonicity describes the capacity of a cell to lose or gain water depending on the solute...