An attempt to use isolated vacuoles to determine the distribution of sodium and potassium in cells of storage roots of red beet (Beta vulgaris L.)

Vacuoles isolated from red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) storage roots contain Na⁺ and K⁺ but their analysis does not give reliable information about the size of vacuolar pools of these ions in vivo. Analyses of isolated vacuoles indicated that between 53% and 90% of the Na⁺ was located in the vacuole and that the vacuolar concentrations of Na⁺ ranged between 4 and 45 mol m^-3. Calculated concentrations of K⁺ in the vacuoles varied between 32 and 72 mol m^-3 but, in contrast to Na⁺, only about 50% of the K⁺ was located in the vacuole. Considerations of the likely cytoplasmic concentrations of Na⁺ and K⁺ suggest that if these results indicate conditions in vivo a large proportion of these ions must be located in the extracellular space, where they would exert considerable osmotic pressure. To test this, the effect of washing on cell turgor (measured directly with a pressure probe) and on loss of Na⁺ and K⁺ was determined. Washing caused an increase in turgor of 5 bar but losses of Na⁺ and K⁺ were less than predicted by the experiments with isolated vacuoles. It is concluded that beet vacuoles leak Na⁺ and K⁺ when isolated resulting in an underestimation of the size of vacuolar pools of these cations in vivo. Nonetheless, the turgor measurements provide evidence for the presence of osmotically active solute in the extracellular space. The possible contribution of extracellular Na⁺ and K⁺ to the observed turgor reduction is calculated and the physiological importance of the accumulation of extracellular solutes is discussed.