Biophysical and Biochemical Studies on Ion Transport in     Plants
{'Code': '08070400', 'Directorate': {'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'LongName': 'Div Of Molecular and Cellular Bioscience'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Kamal Shukla'}
The funded project continues testing a chemiosmotic                             hypothesis for the transport of ions across plant cell                          membranes.  It is postulated that the H+ -translocating                         ATPases, which have been demonstrated to be located in the                      plasma membrane and the tonoplast, set up electrochemical                       potential gradients of H+ which provide the driving force for                   the transport of other ions and small organic molecules via                     proton cotransport systems.  Tomato and corn roots are the                      experimental material.  Fluorescent probes for pH gradients                     and membrane potentials are used in conjunction with                            radioactive tracers to investigate the occurence of                             cotransport systems for sodium, potassium and nitrate in                        isolated plasma membrane vesicles.  An attempt will be made                     to identify the carrier protein for nitrate in the plasma                       membrane following induction of nitrate transport.  Whole-                      cell voltage clamp recordings from protoplasts are being                        obtained with tight-seal patch pipets.  This technique will                     be used to investigate the contribution of the electrogenic                     H+ -ATPase to the membrane potential and conductance of the                     tomato root cell plasma membrane.  Control of the                               "cytoplasmic" pH and ATP level by perfusion of the patch                        pipet with different solutions will be used to compare the                      behavior of the electrogenic pump with the known kinetic                        properties of the H+ -ATPase.                                                                                                                                   The significance of this work lies in elucidating the                           mechanism of ion transport in plants, a process of crucial                      metabolic importance.  It is through ion transport that                         nutrients are absorbed, acidity is controlled and starting                      materials are provided for biosynthesis.***//
{'FirstName': 'Roger', 'LastName': 'Spanswick', 'EmailAddress': 'rms6@cornell.edu', 'StartDate': '03/01/1988', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
{'Name': 'Cornell University', 'CityName': 'Ithaca', 'ZipCode': '148502820', 'PhoneNumber': '6072555014', 'StreetAddress': '373 Pine Tree Road', 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'New York', 'StateCode': 'NY'}
{'Code': '1144', 'Text': 'Molecular Biophysics'}
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1987&All=true', 'xml': '8716363.xml'}