Skip to main content
Plant Physiology logoLink to Plant Physiology
. 1992 Jun;99(2):734–747. doi: 10.1104/pp.99.2.734

Measurement of Net Fluxes of Ammonium and Nitrate at the Surface of Barley Roots Using Ion-Selective Microelectrodes 1

II. Patterns of Uptake Along the Root Axis and Evaluation of the Microelectrode Flux Estimation Technique

Gordon H Henriksen 1,2, D Raj Raman 1,2, Larry P Walker 1,2, Roger M Spanswick 1,2
PMCID: PMC1080526  PMID: 16668947

Abstract

Net fluxes of NH4+ and NO3 into roots of 7-day-old barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv Prato) seedlings varied both with position along the root axis and with time. These variations were not consistent between replicate plants; different roots showed unique temporal and spatial patterns of uptake. Axial scans of NH4+ and NO3 net fluxes were conducted along the apical 7 centimeters of seminal roots of intact barley seedlings in solution culture using ion-selective microelectrodes in the unstirred layer immediately external to the root surface. Theoretically derived relationships between uptake and concentration gradients, combined with experimental observations of the conditions existing in our experimental system, permitted evaluation of the contribution of bulk water flow to ion movement in the unstirred layer, as well as a measure of the spatial resolution of the microelectrode flux estimation technique. Finally, a method was adopted to assess the accuracy of this technique.

Full text

PDF
747

Selected References

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

  1. Bloom A. J., Caldwell R. M. Root excision decreases nutrient absorption and gas fluxes. Plant Physiol. 1988 Aug;87(4):794–796. doi: 10.1104/pp.87.4.794. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bloom A. J., Sukrapanna S. S. Effects of Exposure to Ammonium and Transplant Shock upon the Induction of Nitrate Absorption. Plant Physiol. 1990 Sep;94(1):85–90. doi: 10.1104/pp.94.1.85. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Breteler H., Siegerist M. Effect of ammonium on nitrate utilization by roots of dwarf bean. Plant Physiol. 1984 Aug;75(4):1099–1103. doi: 10.1104/pp.75.4.1099. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Goyal S. S., Huffaker R. C. The uptake of NO3-, NO2-, and NH4+ by intact wheat (Triticum aestivum) seedlings. I. Induction and kinetics of transport systems. Plant Physiol. 1986;82:1051–1056. doi: 10.1104/pp.82.4.1051. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Henriksen G. H., Bloom A. J., Spanswick R. M. Measurement of net fluxes of ammonium and nitrate at the surface of barley roots using ion-selective microelectrodes. Plant Physiol. 1990 May;93(1):271–280. doi: 10.1104/pp.93.1.271. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Higinbotham N., Etherton B., Foster R. J. Effect of External K, NH(4), Na, Ca, Mg, and H Ions on the Cell Transmembrane Electropotential of Avena Coleoptile. Plant Physiol. 1964 Mar;39(2):196–203. doi: 10.1104/pp.39.2.196. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Newman I. A., Kochian L. V., Grusak M. A., Lucas W. J. Fluxes of h and k in corn roots : characterization and stoichiometries using ion-selective microelectrodes. Plant Physiol. 1987 Aug;84(4):1177–1184. doi: 10.1104/pp.84.4.1177. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Schulze E. D., Bloom A. J. Relationship between Mineral Nitrogen Influx and Transpiration in Radish and Tomato. Plant Physiol. 1984 Nov;76(3):827–828. doi: 10.1104/pp.76.3.827. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Weisenseel M. H., Dorn A., Jaffe L. F. Natural H Currents Traverse Growing Roots and Root Hairs of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Plant Physiol. 1979 Sep;64(3):512–518. doi: 10.1104/pp.64.3.512. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Wiebe H. H., Kramer P. J. Translocation of Radioactive Isotopes from Various Regions of Roots of Barley Seedlings. Plant Physiol. 1954 Jul;29(4):342–348. doi: 10.1104/pp.29.4.342. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Plant Physiology are provided here courtesy of Oxford University Press

RESOURCES