Chloride Accumulation as a Homeostatic System: Negative Feedback Signals for Concentration and Turgor Maintenance Differ in a Glycophyte and a Halophyte

Abstract

Carrot tissue is taken as a representative glycophilic tissue. It accumulates K⁺, Cl^- and total osmotica to a steady level after 10-15 days. This level of Cl^- is nearly constant and is independent of external KCl concentration and of turgor. Cl^- influx is also independent of turgor. It therefore appears that the Cl^- accumulating system in carrot (and possibly in other glycophytes) can, under artificial conditions, act as a homeostat for intracellular C^- concentration, and is not the basis of turgor maintenance. It is suggested that turgor might be maintained by controlled accumulation of K⁺ carboxylates in glycophytes.

Beet tissue is taken as a representative halophilic tissue. It accumulates K⁺, Cl^-, and total osmotica to a steady level after about 4 days. At this stage turgor is constant, due to differences in the levels of KCl accumulated. Cl^- influx is stimulated by reducing turgor after a lag of 3-5 h. The relationship of Cl^- influx to turgor is non-linear. It therefore appears that in beet (and possibly in other halophytes) turgor maintenance is based on the turgor-sensitive accumulation of Cl^- salts.

Cl^- influx in beet is also affected by changes in intracellular Cl^- concentration, as in carrot. It is suggested that this feedback relationship may primarily be part of a system for the controlled uptake of nutrients rather than of Cl^- in both tissues.