Electronic Journal of Polish Agricultural Universities (EJPAU) founded by all Polish Agriculture Universities presents original papers and review articles relevant to all aspects of agricultural sciences. It is target for persons working both in science and industry,regulatory agencies or teaching in agricultural sector. Covered by IFIS Publishing (Food Science and Technology Abstracts), ELSEVIER Science - Food Science and Technology Program, CAS USA (Chemical Abstracts), CABI Publishing UK and ALPSP (Association of Learned and Professional Society Publisher - full membership). Presented in the Master List of Thomson ISI.
2008
Volume 11
Issue 2
Topic:
Agronomy
ELECTRONIC
JOURNAL OF
POLISH
AGRICULTURAL
UNIVERSITIES
Poliszko S. , Plenzler G. , Klimek-Poliszko D. , Napierała D. 2008. WATER EVACUATION FROM PEA SEEDS PREVIOUSLY TREATED WITH HgCl2 AND SURFACTANTS (SDS, TRITON X-100), EJPAU 11(2), #21.
Available Online: http://www.ejpau.media.pl/volume11/issue2/abs-21.html

WATER EVACUATION FROM PEA SEEDS PREVIOUSLY TREATED WITH HGCL2 AND SURFACTANTS (SDS, TRITON X-100)

Stefan Poliszko, Grażyna Plenzler, Danuta Klimek-Poliszko, Danuta Napierała
Department of Physics, University of Life Sciences in Poznań, Poland

 

ABSTRACT

The process of water desorption from a heterogenic system of seeds has been studied in the analyser of water diffusion and activity. The theoretical presentation of this process has been based on the differential equation describing molecular transport of water from the sample to the environment as a function of the activity of the diffusing water. The resolution of this equation has been expressed in the form describing changes in the water activity in time in the nearest environment of the studied system. The theoretical data were compared with experimental results in which the kinetics of water evacuation from sample to the surrounding atmosphere were established. The diffusion coefficient was determined on the basis of this comparison and the values of selected thermodynamic functions were estimated knowing the water evacuation at least at two temperatures. The interpretation of the obtained results should be made regarding the presence of aquaporins – the proteins occurring as tetramers in cell membranes and regulating the water transport into and from the cells. Their effect on the water transport was analysed indirectly by analysis of the influence of the membrane modification with selected surfactants and by blocking the aquaporins with HgCl2. The presented studies have shown that in pea seeds treated with HgCl2 the value of the activity diffusion coefficient decreases as compared with control probe, whereas it increases in pea seeds treated with surfactants (sodium dodecyl sulfate SDS as well as Triton X-100). The values of thermodynamic functions such as free energy ΔG, differential enthalpy ΔH, differential entropy ΔS, change as well. The obtained data can be interpreted as a result of the surfactant-induced changes of membrane permeability and blocking the aquaporins by HgCl2. The theoretical description and the instrumental method presented in the present work can be applied to further investigation of cellular water transport.

Key words: water transport, aquaporin, diffusion, diffusion coefficient, surfactant, mercury inhibition.


Stefan Poliszko
Department of Physics, University of Life Sciences in Poznań, Poland
Wojska Polskiego 38/42, 60-637 Poznań, Poland
email: spoliszko@wp.pl

Grażyna Plenzler
Department of Physics, University of Life Sciences in Poznań, Poland
Wojska Polskiego 38/42, 60-637 Poznań, Poland
email: gplenz@up.poznan.pl

Danuta Klimek-Poliszko
Department of Physics, University of Life Sciences in Poznań, Poland
Wojska Polskiego 38/42, 60-637 Poznań, Poland
email: dpoliszko@wp.pl

Danuta Napierała
Department of Physics, University of Life Sciences in Poznań, Poland
Wojska Polskiego 38/42, 60-637 Poznań, Poland
email: dnapiera@up.poznan.pl

Responses to this article, comments are invited and should be submitted within three months of the publication of the article. If accepted for publication, they will be published in the chapter headed 'Discussions' and hyperlinked to the article.