Although salinity is one of the major problems limiting agricultural produc
tion around the world, the underlying mechanisms of high NaCl perception an
d tolerance are still poorly understood. The effects of different bathing s
olutions and fusicoccin (FC), a known activator of plasma membrane ATPase,
on plasma membrane potential (E-m) and net fluxes of Na+, K+ and H+ were st
udied in wheat suspension cells (Triticum aestivum) in response to differen
t NaCl treatments. E-m of cells in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium was less
negative than in cells exposed to a medium containing 10 mM KCl + 0.1 mM C
aCl2 (KSM) and to a basic salt medium (BSM), containing 1 mM KCl and 0.1 mM
CaCl2. Multiphasic Na+ accumulation in cells was observed, peaking at 13 m
in after addition of 120 mM NaCl to MS medium. This time scale was in good
agreement with net Na+ flux changes measured non-invasively by moving ion-s
elective microelectrodes (the MIFE system). When 120 mM NaCl was added to a
ll media studied, a quick rise of Na+ influx was reversed within the first
20 min. In both 120 and 20 mM NaCl treatments in MS medium, net Na+ efflux
was observed, indicating that active Na+ transporters function in the plant
cell response to salt stress. Lower external K+ concentrations (KSM and BS
M) and FC pre-treatment caused shifts in Na+ fluxes towards net influx at 1
20 mM NaCl stress. (C) 2000 Annals of Botany Company.