Turgor regulation in the salt-tolerant alga Chara longifolia

Chara longifolia is a salt-tolerant Charophyte which regulates its turgor inresponse to osmotic stress. Membrane depolarization, in creased membrane conductance, and cessation of cytoplasmic streaming (due to increase in cytoplasmic Ca²⁺) precede regulation in response to hypotonic stress. Measurements of these three parameters are presented here with simultaneous turgor measurements. Variability in the occurrence, rate and extent of turgor regulation in individual cells was correlated with magnitude of the stress. Hypertonic stress showed the same slow time course as was found previously, requiring several days for complete regulation. Fifty μM nifedipine, a Ca²⁺ channel blocker, inhibited turgor regulation. In the presence of 5 μM nifedipine, turgor regulation was delayed. An increase in conductance preceded regulation, but membrane depolarization was less and no detectable change in cytoplasmic streaming was observed, requiring modifications to a previously presented model for turgor regulation. There was no significant difference in ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ influx under control and stress conditions. However, the control flux was insensitive to nifedipine, whereas under stress the flux is inhibited 54% by nifedipine. We suggest that osmotic stress results in a rapid increase in a nifedipine-sensitive Ca²⁺ entry mechanism, followed very quickly by a decrease in the control entry mechanism.