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Environmental and Stress Physiology

Movement of Cations through Cuticles of Citrus aurantium and Acer saccharum¹

Diffusion Potentials in Mixed Salt Solutions

Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, P. O. Box 968, Burlington, Vermont 05402, Botany Department, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405, Agricultural Biochemistry Department, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405

We examined some biophysical mechanisms of ion migration across leaf cuticles enzymatically isolated from Acer saccharum L. and Citrus aurantium L. leaves. Diffusion potential measurements were used to calculate the permeabilities of Cl^-, Li⁺, Na⁺, and Cs⁺ ions all as a ratio with respect to the permeability of K⁺ in cuticles. In 2 millimolar ionic strength solutions the permeability sequence from high to low was K = Cs > Na > Li » Cl. When the outer and inner surfaces of cuticles were bathed in artificial precipitation and artificial apoplast, respectively, diffusion potentials ranging from –52 to –91 millivolts were measured (inside negative). The Goldman equation predicted that the measured potentials were enough to increase the driving force on the accumulation of heavy metals by a factor of 4 to 7. Other ions migrate with forces 3 to 10 times less than predicted by the Goldman equation for concentration differences alone. Our analysis showed that Ca²⁺, and perhaps Mg²⁺, might even be accumulated against concentration gradients under some circumstances. Their uptake was apparently driven by the diffusion potentials created by the outward migration of monovalent salts. We feel that future models predicting leaching of nutrients from trees during acid rain events must be modified to account for the probable influence of diffusion potentials on ion migration.