Applicability of the chemiosmotic polar diffusion theory to the transport of indol-3yl-acetic acid in the intact pea (Pisum sativum L.)

The transport of exogenous indol-3yl-acetic acid (IAA) from the apical tissues of intact, light-grown pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Alderman) shoots exhibited properties identical to those associated with polar transport in isolated shoot segments. Transport in the stem of apically applied 1-¹⁴C]-or 5-³H]IAA occurred at velocities (approx. 8–15 mm·h^-1) characteristic of polar transport. Following pulse-labelling, IAA drained from distal tissues after passage of a pulse and the rate characteristics of a pulse were not affected by chases of unlabelled IAA. However, transport of 1-¹⁴C]IAA was inhibited through a localised region of the stem pretreated with a high concentration of unlabelled IAA or with the synthetic auxins 1-napthaleneacetic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, and label accumulated in more distal tissues. Transport of 1-¹⁴C]IAA was also completely prevented through regions of the intact stem treated with N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) and 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid.Export of IAA from the apical bud into the stem increased with total concentration of IAA applied (labelled+unlabelled) but approached saturation at high concentrations (834 mmol·m^-3). Transport velocity increased with concentration up to 83 mmol·m^-3 IAA but fell again with further increase in concentration.Stem segments (2 mm) cut from intact plants transporting apically applied 1-¹⁴C]IAA effluxed 93% of their initial radioactivity into buffer (pH 7.0) in 90 min. The half-time for efflux increased from 32.5 to 103.9 min when 3 mmol·m^-3 NPA was included in the efflux medium. Long (30 mm) stem sections cut from immediately below an apical bud 3.0 h after the apical application of 1-¹⁴C]IAA effluxed IAA when their basal ends, but not their apical ends, were immersed in buffer (pH 7.0). Addition of 3 mmol·m^-3 NPA to the external medium completely prevented this basal efflux.These results support the view that the slow long-distance transport of IAA from the intact shoot apex occurs by polar cell-to-cell transport and that it is mediated by the components of IAA transmembrane transport predicted by the chemiosmotic polar diffusion theory.Abbreviations IAA indol-3yl-acetic acid - 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - NAA 1-naphthaleneacetic acid - NPA N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid - TIBA 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid