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Measuring the Osmotic Water Permeability Coefficient Pf of Spherical Cells: Isolated Plant Protoplasts as an Example
Published on: October 8, 2014
Ytterbium increases transmembrane water transport in Zea mays roots via aquaporin modulation
Vladimir N Vorob'ev1,2, Timur A Sibgatullin3, Kseniya A Sterkhova3
1Kazan Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, FRC Kazan Scientific Center of Russian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 30, Lobachevsky st., 2/13, Kazan, Russia, 420111. vorobyev@kibb.knc.ru.
Abstract:
In our study, the rare earth element ytterbium (Yb3+) was demonstrated to affect water exchange in roots of Zea mays seedlings. Herewith, the overall membrane permeability (Pd) increased. The Pd increase was determined by aquaporin activity but not the membrane lipid component since the closure of aquaporin channels due to low intracellular pH abolished the positive effect of Yb3+ on Pd. Additionally, the expression level of aquaporin genes ZmPIP2;2, ZmPIP2;6 and ZmTIP2;2 was increased when plants were grown in the presence of Yb3+. Our results indicate that previously described positive influence of rare earth metals on plant growth and productivity may be mediated (at least partially) by the modification of the plant hydraulic system.
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