Day-Night Periodicity of Exudation in Detopped Tobacco

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Abstract
Exudate was collected periodically from the root systems of detopped tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants. Volume, cations, and K42 or Rb86 transfer were measured. According to measurements of K by K42 and by the flame photometer, when concentrations of KCl and KNO3 were lower than 10-2 [image], the K in the exudate came mostly from a pool in the plant rather than from the external solution. With higher external KNO3 solutions, within a few hr. nearly all of the K in the exudate came directly from the external solutions. Studies with Rb86 lead to the same conclusion. In contrast the maximum proportion of K in the exudate that came from KCl in the external solution was reached usually in many hours after detopping and amounted to from 50 to 75%. The higher the external concentration the faster it was reached. These data for KCl are indicative of the K42 passing through a K pool in the root cells. K and Rb from high concentrations of KNO3 and RDNO3, however, may not pass through such a pool. The addition of 10-2 [image] KNO3 into the external solution during exudation essentially eliminated the effect of periodicity at least for a period of time and under the conditions of the experiments. Hydrochloric acid, mercuric chloride, anaerobiosis, and 2, 4-dinitrophenol had the same effect and each resulted in a massive final exudation that usually persisted for 1 to 3 days before stopping. Therefore periodicity is probably regulated at the tonoplast.