Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Blue light activates electrogenic ion pumping in guard cell protoplasts of Vicia faba

Abstract

Transmembrane ion exchange and blue-light dependent responses are central processes in plants in general1,2 and stomatal guard cells in particular3. Stimuli, including light, cause H+ extrusion by stomatal guard cells4,5, K+ uptake, osmotic swelling and enlarged stomatal pore apertures, resulting in increased leaf conductance for CO2 influx and water efflux6. The mechanisms under-lying ion movement and the specific response of stomata to blue light7–9 remain, however, unknown. We have now investigated these phenomena using gas-exchange techniques on leaves and whole-cell patch clamping10,11 of protoplasts. Blue light-stimulated stomatal opening in the leaf is correlated with activation of an electrogenic pump in the guard cell plasmalemma which results in hyperpolarizations as large as 45 mV and outward currents as large as 5.5 pA. The pump functions in the absence of K+; in the presence of K+ an increase in voltage noise upon light-induced hyperpolarization more negative than the K+ equilibrium potential implies K+ flow through K+-selective channels12. The data are in accord with a chemiosmotic model of stomatal response13 whereby active H+ extrusion creates an electrochemical gradient for passive ion fluxes. A 25–35-s delay in the onset of hyperpolarization, and its peak several minutes after application of a blue light pulse suggest that blue light functions as an activator, rather than a direct energy source, for ion pumping.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Spanswick, R.M. A Rev. Pl. Physiol. 32, 267–289 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Schmidt, W. Bioscience 34, 698–704 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Zeiger, E. in Blue Light Effects in Biological Systems (ed. Senger, H.) 484–494 (Springer, Berlin, 1984).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  4. Raschke, K. & Humble, G.D. Planta 115, 47–57 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Gepstein, S., Jacobs, M. & Taiz, L. Pl. Sci. Lett. 28, 63–72 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Zeiger, E. A. Rev. PL Physiol. 34, 441–475 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Sharkey, T.D. & Raschke, K. Pl. Physiol. 68, 1170–1174 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Ogawa, f., Ishikawa, H., Shimada, K. & Shibata, K. Planta 142, 61–65 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Hsiao, T.C., Allaway, W.G. & Evans, L.T. PL Physiol. 51, 82–88 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Hamill, O.P., Marty, A., Neher, E., Sakmann, B. & Sigworth, F. J. Pflüget Arch. ges. Physiol. 391, 85–100 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Marty, A. & Neher, E. in Single Channel Recording (eds Sakmann, B. & Neher, E.) 107–122 (Plenum, New York, 1983).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  12. Schroeder, J.L., Hedrich, R. & Fernandez, J. M. Nature 312, 361–362 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Zeiger, E., Bloom, A.J. & Hepler, P.K. What's New Pl. Physiol. 9, 29–32 (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  14. lino, M, Ogawa, T. & Zeiger, E. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. (in the press).

  15. Schwartz, A. & Zeiger, E. Pl.anta 161, 129–136 (1984).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Zeiger, E., Moody, W., Hepler, P.K. & Varela, F. Nature 270, 270–271 (1977).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Ishikawa, H., Aizawa, H., Kishira, H., Ogawa, T. & Sakata, M. Pl. Cell Physiol., Tokyo 24, 769–772 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Goldsmith, T.H. & Goldsmith, M.H. Planta 143, 267–274 (1980).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Sakmann, B. & Neher, E. (eds) in Single-Channel Recording 37–51 (Plenum, New York, 1983).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  20. Shimazaki, K., lino, M & Zeiger, E. PL Physiol. 77S 164 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Pitman, M.G., Schaefer, N. & Wildes, R.A. Planta 126, 61–73 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Lado, P., Rasi-Caldogno, F., Colombo, R., De Michelis, M.I. & Marre, E. PL Sci. Lett. 7, 199–209 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Beffagna, N., Cocucci, S. & Marre, E. Pt. Sci. Lett. 8, 91–98 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Poole, R.J. A. Rev. PI. Physiol. 29, 437–460 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Bellandp et al. PL Cell Envir. 2, 39–47 (1979).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Lanyi, J.K. Microbiol. Rev. 42, 682–706 (1978).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Hampp, R., Goller, M. & Ziegler, H. Pl. Physiol. 69, 448–455 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Kowallik, W. A. Rev. Pl. Physiol. 33, 51–72 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Strasser, R.J. & Butler, W.L. in The Blue Light Syndrome (ed. Senger, H.) 205–211 (Springer, Berlin, 1980).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  30. Field, C., Berry, J.A. & Mooney, H. PL Cell Envir. 5, 179–186 (1982).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Gotow, K., Shimazaki, K., Kondo, N. & Syöno, K. Pl. Cell Physiol. 25, 671–675 (1984).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Assmann, S., Simoncini, L. & Schroeder, J. Blue light activates electrogenic ion pumping in guard cell protoplasts of Vicia faba. Nature 318, 285–287 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/318285a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/318285a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing