Effect of high external NaCl concentration on ion transport within the shoot of Lupinus albus. II. Ions in phloem sap

Abstract

Abstract. Phloem sap was collected from petioles of growing and fully expanded leaves of lupins exposed to 0–150 mol m−3 [NaCl]ext, for various periods of time. Sap bled from growing leaves only after the turgor of the shoot was raised by applying pneumatic pressure to the root. Increased pressure was also needed to obtain sap from fully expanded leaves of plants at high [NaCl]ext. Exposure to NaCl caused a rapid rise in the Na+ concentration in phloem sap to high levels. The Na+ concentration reached 20 mol m−3 within a day of exposure and reached a plateau of about 60 mol m−3 in plants at 50–150 mol m−3 [NaCl]ext, after a week. There was a slower, smaller increase in the Cl− concentration. K+ concentrations in phloem sap were not affected by [NaCl]ext. Cl− concentrations in phloem sap collected from growing leaves were similar to those from old leaves while Na+ concentrations were somewhat increased, suggesting that there was no reduction in the salt content of the phloem sap while it flowed within the shoot to the apex. Calculations of ion fluxes in xylem and phloem sap indicated that Na+ and Cl− fluxes in the phloem from leaves of plants at high NaCl could be equal to those in the xylem. This prediction was borne out by observations that Na+ and Cl− concentrations in recently expanded leaves remained constant.