Involvement of K+ in Leaf Movements During Suntracking

Involvement of K+ in Leaf Movements During Suntracking Introduction         Many plants orient their leaves in response to directional light signals. Heliotropic movements, or movements that are affected by the sun, are common among plants belonging to the families Malvaceae, Fabaceae, Nyctaginaceae, and Oxalidaceae. The leaves of many plants, including Crotalaria pallida, exhibit diaheliotropic movement. C. pallida is a woody shrub native to South Africa. Its trifoliate leaves are connected to the petiole by 3-4 mm …

…C. pallida, and the suntracking ability of the plant will then be measured. Tetraethylammonium (TEA), a K+ channel blocker will be added to test whether K+ is involved in suntracking. Likewise, , a Cl- channel blocker will be added to determine if Cl- is used. Vanadate, a H+/ATPase inhibitor, will determine if hydrogen ions are pumped across the plasma membrane, causing a hyperpolarization of the membrane. Fusicoccin, a H+/ATPase activator will also be tested .