Relation between Ion Accumulation of Salt-Sensitive and Isolated Stable Salt-Tolerant Cell Lines of Citrus aurantium

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Abstract
Four selected NaCl-tolerant cell lines of sour orange (C. aurantium) were compared with the nonselected cell line in their growth and internal ion content of Na+, K+ and Cl- when exposed to increasing NaCl concentrations. No difference was found among the various NaCl-tolerant cell lines in Na+ and Cl- uptake, and all these cell lines took up similar or even larger amounts of Na+ and Cl- than the NaCl-sensitive cell line. Exposure of cells of NaCl-sensitive and NaCl-tolerant lines to equal external concentrations of NaCl resulted in a greater loss of K+ from the NaCl-sensitive cell line. Growth and ability to retain high levels of internal K+ are correlated. Exposure of the NaCl-tolerant cell lines to salts other than NaCl resulted in even greater tolerance to Na2SO4, but rather poor tolerance to K+ introduced as either K2SO4 or KCl; the latter has a stronger inhibitory effect. The NaCl-sensitive cell line proved more sensitive to replacement of Na+ by K+. Analyses of internal Na+, K+, and Cl- concentrations failed to identify any particular internal ion concentration which could serve as a reliable marker for salt tolerance.