Functional Aspects of the Salt Glands of the Plumbaginaceae

X-ray microanalysis and diffuse reflectance infrared Fouriertransform spectrometry were used to determine the presence andratios of elements in salt secretions from salt glands of greenhouseand experimentally-manipulated leaves of five species of thePlumbaginaceae Sodium, magnesium, silica, sulphur, phosphorus,chloride, potassium, calcium and carbonate were detected insecretions of greenhouse-grown plants. The salt glands of excisedleaves challenged by solutions of KI, KCl, NaCl, Na₂SO₄, MgCl₂and MgSO₄ secreted principally the ions of the challenging solutions. Key words: Ion transport, secretion     

Ion Fluxes Across the Transfusion Zone of Secreting Limonium Salt Glands Determined from Secretion Rates, Transfusion Zone Areas and Plasmodesmatal Frequencies

Faraday, C. D., Quinton, P. M. and Thomson, W. W. 1986. Ionfluxes across the transfusion zone of secreting Limonium saltglands determined from secretion rates, transfusion zone areasand plasmodesmatal frequencies.—J. exp. Bot. 37: 482–494. The epidermal salt-secreting glands of Limonium (Plumbaginaceae)are enclosed in a cuticular envelope. Ions and metabolites enterthe glands from the mesophyll through gaps in the cuticularenvelope, the transfusion zones. Net influxes of ions acrossthe transfusion zone were calculated from measurements of secretionrates and transfusion zone areas. When leaves of L. pereziiF. T. Hubb. were treated with 300 mol m^–3 NaCl, transfusionzone influxes of Na⁺ K⁺, Ca⁺⁺ and Cl^– as high as 7?0?10^–5,1.7?10^–5, 5?8?10^–7 and 8.5?10^–5 mol m^–2s^–1 respectively, were calculated. Assuming a transmembranepathway, these fluxes would be some of the highest reportedfor ions in plant cells. Key words: Salt glands, ion fluxes, ultrastructure     

Morphometric Analysis of Limonium Salt Glands in Relation to Ion Efflux

Faraday, C. D. and Thomson, W. W. 1986. Morphometric analysisof Limonium salt glands in relation to ion efflux.—J exp.Bot. 37: 471–481. Surface areas and volumes of compartments within rapidly secretingand slowly secreting Limonium perezii salt glands were determinedto be similar. Molecular and volume efiluxes of secreted saltsolutions were calculated by the application of secretion ratesto plasmalemma surface areas. If ion efflux from the glandswas a transmembrane phenomenon, fluxes of 1?04?l0^–5 equivalentsm^–2 s^–1 would have been necessary to match secretionrates. These fluxes were a thousand times higher than fluxesestimated for most plant cells. Correlated with these high membranefluxes was the fact that mitochondria occupied 10% of the protoplastvolume. Thirty-two percent of the plasmalemma available forefflux was associated with wall protuberances. Wall protuberancesamplified the plasmalemma surface area by a factor of 1?6. Key words: Salt glands, ultrastructure, ion fluxes     

Maize Root Plasma Membranes Isolated by Aqueous Polymer Two-phase Partitioning: Assessment of Residual Tonoplast ATPase and Pyrophosphatase Activities

Plasma membrane-enriched fractions were obtained from maizeroots by differential centrifugation and aqueous polymer two-phasepartitioning. Plasma membrane enrichment and tonoplast depletionwere assessed from comparisons of marker ATPase specific activitiesamong starting microsomal, intermediate, and final phase-partitionedfractions. ATPase assays were conducted in the presence of themembrane permeabilizing detergent Brij 58. The plasma membranefraction was enriched in ATPase specific activity at pH 6·5.This activity was strongly inhibited by vanadate (50% inhibitionat {small tilde}3 mmol m     

Structural Aspects of the Salt Glands of the Plumbaginaceae

Faraday, C. D. and Thomson, W. W. 1986. Structural aspects ofthe salt glands of the Plumbaginaceae.—J. exp. Bot. 37:461–470. The epidermal salt-secreting glands of 11 species from six differentgenera within the Plumbaginaceae were examined Gland ultrastructurewas considered with respect to species, secretory activity,and secretory product. All mature glands had a similar ultrastructure.Cytoplasmically dense secretory cells contained a full complementof organelles and structures which included numerous mitochondriaand few plastids. Reconstruction of serial paradermal sectionsthrough entire glands revealed that each gland cell generallycontained one or two vacuoles with a convoluted tonoplast inboth secreting and non-secreting states. The absence of numerousvacuoles and vesicles during secretory activity suggested thation secretion was by a transmembrane pathway rather than bya vesicle-mediated pathway. Key words: Salt glands, ultrastructure, Plumbaginaceae