Skip to main content
Plant Physiology logoLink to Plant Physiology
. 1980 Nov;66(5):801–804. doi: 10.1104/pp.66.5.801

Changes in Membrane Lipids of Roots Associated with Changes in Permeability

I. EFFECTS OF UNDISSOCIATED ORGANIC ACIDS

Patricia C Jackson 1,2,3,4, Judith B St John 1,2,3,4
PMCID: PMC440729  PMID: 16661529

Abstract

Previous work has shown that undissociated forms of organic acids, such as formic, acetic, and propionic acids, increase the permeability of barley roots to ions. The work here was undertaken to test whether these undissociated acids affect the lipids from the root membranes in such a way as to account for the permeability increase. Relative amounts of the principal fatty acids from barley root membranes were measured as a function of organic acid concentration, pH, and time of treatment of barley roots under conditions similar to those of the previous studies.

Undissociated formic, acetic, and propionic acids all rapidly increase the proportions of palmitic, stearic, and oleic acids and decrease proportions of linoleic and linolenic acids. Only the undissociated species are effective. The effects on the fatty acids from membrane lipids parallel effects on ion permeability. It is concluded that the increase in permeability produced by undissociated organic acid is due to changes in the lipids of barley root membranes.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

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

  1. FOLCH J., LEES M., SLOANE STANLEY G. H. A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipides from animal tissues. J Biol Chem. 1957 May;226(1):497–509. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Jackson P. C., Taylor J. M. Effects of organic acids on ion uptake and retention in barley roots. Plant Physiol. 1970 Oct;46(4):538–542. doi: 10.1104/pp.46.4.538. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Jackson P. C., Taylor J. M., Hendricks S. B. Entry of organic acid anions into roots. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1970 Jan;65(1):176–183. doi: 10.1073/pnas.65.1.176. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Jacobson L., Ordin L. Organic Acid Metabolism and Ion Absorption in Roots. Plant Physiol. 1954 Jan;29(1):70–75. doi: 10.1104/pp.29.1.70. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. John J. B. Manipulation of galactolipid Fatty Acid composition with substituted pyridazinones. Plant Physiol. 1976 Jan;57(1):38–40. doi: 10.1104/pp.57.1.38. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES