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Turgor‐regulated translocation
Author(s) -
LANG ALEXANDER
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
plant, cell and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.646
H-Index - 200
eISSN - 1365-3040
pISSN - 0140-7791
DOI - 10.1111/1365-3040.ep11589312
Subject(s) - chromosomal translocation , phloem , turgor pressure , circumstantial evidence , sink (geography) , biology , chemistry , biophysics , botany , biochemistry , cartography , gene , political science , geography , law
. The role played by potassium in plants is examined, in particular its connection with phloem translocation. The possibility emerges that trans‐location may be a turgor‐regulated process in which potassium plays a central role. A simple mechanistic hypothesis is proposed and the evidence for it is discussed. The hypothesis is strongly supported by both the direct and the circumstantial evidence. An important conclusion is the need to reassess the importance of the translocation process in the control of assimilate partitioning. Hitherto, as implied by Münch's hypothesis, control has been assumed to be exerted by source and/or sink activity with the translocation pathway playing a more passive secondary role. If the present proposal is correct the translocation process emerges instead as a dominant factor in the control of assimilate partitioning.