Role of calcium in the mechanical strength of soybean hypocotyl cell walls

Conference · Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1986 · Plant Physiol., Suppl.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5127720

Virk, S S; Cleland, R E

Calcium ions inhibit auxin-induced growth in both dicot stems and coleoptiles. In coleoptiles calcium does not directly stiffen cell walls. The authors have tested here whether calcium might alter the mechanical strength of a dicot cell wall, the soybean hypocotyl. Sections were longitudinally bisected, boiled or frozen-thawed, incubated in solutions and then the mechanical strength was determined with an Instron. The calcium content was also measured. Removal of calcium by EGTA or by acidic buffers such as K-Pi-citrate resulted in a proportional increase in wall extensibility. Addition of calcium, on the other hand, stiffened the walls. These changes were reversible. It was concluded that calcium crosslinks make a significant contribution to the strength of dicot stem cell walls, and that in vivo, removal of calcium from the wall by uptake into the cell could result in wall loosening and thus enhanced growth.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Washington, Seattle
• DOE Contract Number: AT06-70ER73019
• OSTI ID: 5127720
• Journal Information: Plant Physiol., Suppl.; (United States), Vol. 80:4; Conference: Annual meeting of the American Society of Plant Physiologists, Baton Rouge, LA, USA, 8-12 Jun 1986
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
CALCIUM
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CELL WALL
ELASTICITY
PLANT GROWTH
INHIBITION
AUXINS
PHASEOLUS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BACTERIA
CELL CONSTITUENTS
ELEMENTS
GROWTH
LEGUMINOSAE
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS
PLANTS
RHIZOBIUM
TENSILE PROPERTIES
550200* - Biochemistry