N-Ethylmaleimide Blocks the H+ Pump in the Plasma Membrane of Chara corallina Internodal Cells

The sulfhydryl (SH) modifying reagent N-ethylmaleimide (NEM)was applied to the internodal cells of Chara corallina to studythe role of SH residues in the activity of the plasma membraneH⁺ pump. NEM (1 µM) caused a marked depolarizing shiftof the resting potential by 6410mV (n=7) together with depressionof the conductance peak at around —200 mV, indicatinga marked depression of the H⁺ pump activity. This effect ofNEM was partly reversible, the membrane repolarized and theconductance peak was restored after extracellular washing. TheH⁺ pump inhibitor, dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), caused noadditive membrane depolarization and/or depression of the H⁺pump conductance, in the presence of NEM. This suggests thatNEM blocks the H⁺ pump and that SH residues play a pivotal rolein maintaining the H⁺ pump activity in Chara corallina. (Received April 10, 1993; Accepted July 29, 1993)     

Effects of Growth Regulators on H+Translocation across the Membranes of Plasma Membrane Vesicles from Potato Tuber Cells

Effects of the growth regulators epibrassinolide-694 (EB), gibberellic acid (GA), and abscisic acid (ABA) on the ATP-dependent translocation of H⁺through the membranes of plasma membrane vesicles of potato (Solanum tuberosumL.) tuber cells were studied. The ATP-dependent accumulation of H⁺in the plasma membrane vesicles from dormant tubers was inhibited by EB and ABA and stimulated by GA. After the break of dormancy, the stimulatory effect of GA increased, the inhibitory effect of ABA decreased, and EB stimulated the accumulation of H⁺in the vesicles. The data suggest that the plasma membrane H⁺ATPase is a target of phytohormones that regulate the dormancy of potato tubers.