Abstract
Sap water is distributed and utilized through xylem conduits, which are vascular networks of inert pipes important for plant survival. Interestingly, plants can actively regulate water transport using ion-mediated responses and adapt to environmental changes. However, ionic effects on active water transport in vascular plants remain unclear. In this report, the interactive ionic effects on sap transport were systematically investigated for the first time by visualizing the uptake process of ionic solutions of different ion compositions (K+/Ca2+) using synchrotron X-ray and neutron imaging techniques. Ionic solutions with lower K+/Ca2+ ratios induced an increased sap flow rate in stems of Olea europaea L. and Laurus nobilis L. The different ascent rates of ionic solutions depending on K+/Ca2+ ratios at a fixed total concentration increases our understanding of ion-responsiveness in plants from a physicochemical standpoint. Based on these results, effective structural changes in the pit membrane were observed using varying ionic ratios of K+/Ca2+. The formation of electrostatically induced hydrodynamic layers and the ion-responsiveness of hydrogel structures based on Hofmeister series increase our understanding of the mechanism of ion-mediated sap flow control in plants.
Highlights
Plants transport sap water through specific porous structures and xylem conduits, which are composed of dead cells
Enhancement of the ionic effect in embolized stems [9,10,11,12] is a plausible mechanism for the maintenance of stable water flow under different environmental conditions, compensating for embolism-induced loss of hydraulic conductance
To characterize ion-responsiveness in vascular plants, we investigated the interactive effects of the type and composition of ions on pit membranes and sap flow by systematically varying the molar ratios of K+ to Ca2+
Summary
Plants transport sap water through specific porous structures and xylem conduits, which are composed of dead cells. To characterize ion-mediated sap flow regulation in vascular plants from a physicochemical standpoint, the interactive ionic effects of K+ and Ca2+ on sap flow in olive and laurel stems were examined using synchrotron X-ray and neutron imaging methods. Our experimental results on the interactive ionic effects increase our understanding of structural changes in pit membranes and the physicochemical mechanism of active sap flow regulation in xylem conduits.
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