Effect of Potassium Levels on the Stomatal Behavior of the Hemi-Parasite Striga hermonthica

The hemi-parasite Striga hermonthica, exhibits an anomalous pattern of stomatal response, stomata remaining open in darkness and when subjected to water stress. This suggests irregularity in stomatal response due to malfunction of the stomatal mechanism. To test this suggestion guard cells were isolated from the effects of surrounding cells, by incubating epidermal strips at low pH. These stomata responded rapidly to low CO(2) concentrations, darkness, and ABA. Thus, a paradox exists between stomatal behavior observed in whole leaves and that in isolated guard cells. However, when incubated in the presence of high potassium concentrations (>200 millimolar KCl) stomatal responses in epidermal strips resembled those found in whole leaves, with enhanced opening and reduced closing responses. It is suggested that the anomalous behavior of stomata in Striga and other leafy hemiparasites can be explained by the modulatory effects of high potassium concentrations which accumulate in the leaves as a consequence of high transpiration rates and the lack of a retranslocation system.