Deposition of ammonium (NH₄+) from the atmosphere is a substantial environmental problem. While toxicity resulting from root exposure to NH₄+ is well studied, little is known about how shoot-supplied ammonium (SSA) affects root growth. In this study, we show that SSA significantly affects lateral root (LR) development. We show that SSA inhibits lateral root primordium (LRP) emergence, but not L...

Phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) transfer proteins (PITPs) regulate signaling interfaces between lipid metabolism and membrane trafficking. Herein, we demonstrate that AtSfh1p, a member of a large and uncharacterized Arabidopsis thaliana Sec14p-nodulin domain family, is a PITP that regulates a specific stage in root hair development. AtSfh1p localizes along the root hair plasma membrane and is enr...

Nitrate transporters are an important component of plant growth and development. Chrysanthemum morifolium is an important ornamental species, for which a sufficient supply of nitrogenous fertilizer is required to maintain economic yields. In this study, the full-length cDNA of the nitrate transporter genes CmNRT2 and CmNAR2 were isolated. CmNRT2 transcript accumulation was inducible by both nit...

Plant nutrient acquisition from concentrated soil solutions is governed by low-affinity transport systems in the plasma membranes of root cells. In this Opinion article, we illustrate that for six major nutrient ions, in addition to influx mediation by low-affinity transporters, high rates of ion cycling at the plasma membrane are a hallmark of nutrient transport at elevated external concentrat...

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), a ligand-gated cation channel highly expressed in small-diameter sensory neurons, is activated by heat, protons, and capsaicin. The phosphorylation of TRPV1 provides a versatile regulation of intracellular calcium levels and is critical for TRPV1 function in responding to a pain stimulus. We have previously reported that cyclin-dependent kinase ...

Tissue ATP concentrations in slices of red beet increase progressively with time for up to 7 days after cutting the root. ATP levels are higher in slices taken from stored roots than in slices from fresh roots. ATP is reduced during incubation in salt solutions.Plasmalemma influxes were measured by 6 minutes incubation with (42)K and/or (36)C1 under conditions in which cation and anion influxes...

Excitotoxicity results in a significant increase in Ca2+ influx; essentially from open N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) channels that cause a secondary rise in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration. It is correlated with neuronal death induced by Ca2+ overload. Dysfunction of NMDARs is associated with excitotoxic neuronal death in neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, the effects of...