The Physiochemical Analysis of NaCl Inducible Granule in Shoot Base of Reed (Phragmites communis)

Abstract

Reed is salt tolerant plant, keeps low Na⁺ concentration in shoot under saline condition. It is suggested that reed has the mechanism that translocates Na⁺ back to roots at shoot base (basal part of the shoot). In this study, we evaluated quantitatively ion translocation rate at the shoot base. The shoot base of reed specifically prevents NaCl translocation to shoot. We also visualized intracellular free Na⁺ at the shoot base of reed and the equivalent of rice using specific fluorescent probe. In rice segment, fluorescence was observed whole cells. In reed segments, granule structure was observed in the cell around the vascular bundle, and fluorescence was only observed surface of the granule. The granule was mainly consisted of starch. We suggest that the starch granules produced at the shoot base of reed play an important role in prevention of Na⁺ translocation to shoot.