| Abstract Detail
Cell-to-Cell and Long Distance Signaling Ranatunga, Don Rufus [1], Volkova, Maia [2], Volkov, Alexander [2]. Ionic Stimulation Induces Fast Bioelectrochemical Signaling in Green Plants. Electrochemical principles govern many biological properties of organisms; generation of electrical fields and conduction of such fast electrical excitations. Certain types of bioelectrochemical signals such as action potentials generated by plants in response to environmental changes resemble nerve impulses in animals [1,2]. The conductive bundles in plants possess excitable membranes through which electrical excitations can propagate in the form of action potentials. Consequently, when the phloem is stimulated at any point, the action potential may propagate along the conductive bundles at constant voltage. In this work, the propagation of fast action potentials induced in tomato L. pennellii (C. M. Rick Tomato Genetics Resource Center, University of California at Davis) and brassica juncea (North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station, Iowa State University) plants due to ionic stimulation with aqueous potassium chloride solution has been investigated. All electrical potentials were recorded as digital data using a high-speed data acquisition system (National Instruments). It was found that the duration of action potentials in brassica juncea after the ionic stimulation with potassium chloride solution is about 1-2 ms. As natural nanodevices, ion channels are capable of controlling the plasma membrane potential, and thereby the movement of ions across the membranes. The possible inhibition of propagation of action potentials induced in these plants due to ionic stimulation with potassium chloride is being studied using a voltage-gated potassium ion channel blocker, tetraethylammonium chloride.
1. Volkov AG (Ed.); Plant Electrophysiology 2006, Springer, Berlin, New York.
2. Volkov AG, Ranatunga DRA; Plant Signaling & Behavior 2006, 1(3), 105.
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1 - Oakwood College, Department of Chemistry, 7000 Adventist Blvd., NW, Huntsville, Alabama, 35896, USA
2 - Oakwood College, Department of Chemistry
Keywords:
Action potential
Electrophysiology.
Presentation Type: Plant Biology Abstract
Session: P
Location: Exhibit Hall (Northeast, Southwest & Southeast)/Hilton
Date: Sunday, July 8th, 2007
Time: 8:00 AM
Number: P34015
Abstract ID:1508 |
