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Plant Physiology 70:771-774 (1982)
© 1982 American Society of Plant Biologists

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Articles

Active, Irreversible Accumulation of Extreme Levels of H2SO4 in the Brown Alga, Desmarestia1

Mark McClintock2, Noe Higinbotham3, Ernest G. Uribe and Robert E. Cleland4

Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, Washington 98250, Department of Botany, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164, Department of Botany, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195

The brown algae Desmarestia ligulata var. ligulata (Lightf.) Lamour., and D. viridis (Mull.) Lamour., accumulate H2SO4 until their average internal pH is 0.5 to 0.8. A related species, D. aculeata (L.) Lamour., does not accumulate acid. The H2SO4 accumulation is accompanied by a reduction in the K+ and Cl– content, presumedly to maintain osmotic balance. Measurements of the membrane potential and H+ and SO42– concentrations indicate that both ions are accumulated in the vacuole against their electrochemical potential gradients.

The internal pH remains constant in all three species over the growing season, despite striking changes in the algal morphology. The pH is not affected by periods of darkness of up to 34 hours. Sulfate accumulated in the vacuoles appears to be trapped there since incubation of D. ligulata for up to 10 days in sulfate-free medium resulted in little loss of either vacuolar sulfate or H+. Although the uptake of H2SO4 into the vacuole must require energy, the maintenance of the vacuolar H2SO4 may be due to the impermeability of the tonoplast, with little necessity for continued expenditure of energy.

2 Present address: Botany Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195.

3 Deceased.

4 To whom reprint requests should be addressed.

1 Supported by National Science Foundation Grant PCM 78-12200.






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ASPB Publications PLANT PHYSIOLOGY THE PLANT CELL
Copyright © 1982 by the American Society of Plant Biologists