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. 1987 Jul;84(3):841–846. doi: 10.1104/pp.84.3.841

An Electric Current Associated with Gravity Sensing in Maize Roots 1

Thomas Björkman 1,2, A Carl Leopold 1
PMCID: PMC1056680  PMID: 11539681

Abstract

The study of gravisensing would be greatly enhanced if physiological events associated with gravity sensing could be detected separately from subsequent growth processes. This report presents a means to discriminate sensing from the growth processes. By using a vibrating probe, we have found an electric current generated by the gravity sensing region of the root cap of maize (Zea mays cv Merit) in response to gravistimulation. On the upper surface of the root cap, the change from the endogenous current has a density of 0.55 microampere per square centimeter away from gravity. The onset of the current shift has a characteristic lag of three to four minutes after gravistimulation, which corresponds to the presentation time for gravity sensing in this tissue. A description of the current provides some information about the sensing mechanism, as well as being a valuable means to detect gravity sensing independently of differential growth.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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