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Water transport in maize roots under the influence of mercuric chloride and water stress: a role of water channels

  • Published:
Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

The influence of inhibitor of water channels, HgCl2, on water diffusion in maize (Zea mays L.) seedling roots was investigated with the pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method. Blocking of water channels decreased the water permeability of cell membranes by 1.5 – 2 times. This effect of HgCl2 was exhibited only in the roots of seedlings grown in a nutrient solution containing Ca2+ and was reversed with Hg-scavenging agent β-mercaptoethanol. Subsequent incubation of Ca2+-deficient roots in the nutrient solution with Ca2+ recovered the sensitivity to HgCl2. The water stress decreased water diffusion rates similarly to HgCl2 and the effects of water stress and HgCl2 were not additive. The obtained data demonstrate the possibilities of the pulsed NMR method for study of the transmembrane water exchange in vivo in connection with water channel functioning.

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Abbreviations

Def :

effective diffusion coefficient of water

DD:

diffusional decay

g:

gradient pulse amplitude

Pd :

coefficient of diffusional water permeability of membranes

R:

relative echo amplitude

td :

diffusion time

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, P.O.Box 30, 420111, Kazan, Russia

    I. F. Ionenko, A. V. Anisimov & F. G. Karimova

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  1. I. F. Ionenko
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  2. A. V. Anisimov
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  3. F. G. Karimova
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Correspondence to I. F. Ionenko.

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Ionenko, I.F., Anisimov, A.V. & Karimova, F.G. Water transport in maize roots under the influence of mercuric chloride and water stress: a role of water channels. Biol Plant 50, 74–80 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-005-0077-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-005-0077-7

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