Study of ion transport in isolated plant vacuoles by Patch clamp (CAT#: STEM-PET-0032-WXH)

Introduction

The vacuole accounts for up to 90% of a plant cell’s volume, functioning as a storage depot for sugars, organic and inorganic ions. Barley leaf vacuoles have been widely used as an example for the storage and release of plant cell metabolites. Studies on the transport mechanisms of the vacuolar membrane (tonoplast) have been performed using whole leaves or large populations of isolated vacuoles; however, these studies cannot reliably distinguish between various transport mechanisms such as carriers, channels and pumps. These limitations have left many questions open regarding the nature of tonoplast transport mechanisms. The patch-clamp technique, applied to single, isolated vacuoles is a powerful tool, able to distinguish the various transport mechanisms, thus opening up the possibility for a detailed understanding of their nature and regulation.