Electrical coupling between cells of higher plants: A direct demonstration of intercellular communication

Abstract

Electrical coupling between adjacent cells of Elodea canadensis has been demonstrated using a microelectrode technique in which the membrane potentials were recorded during the passage of a current pulse from the vacuole of one cell to the external solution. The changes in membrane potential resulting from the passage of the current may be simulated by an equivalent circuit in which the tonoplast:plasmalemma:plasmodesmata resistances are in the ratio 1.0:5.6:2.2. On this basis, the specific resistances are 3.1 kΩ cm² for the plasmalemma, 1.0 kΩ cm² for the tonoplast and 0.051 kΩ cm² for the junction between the cells. Although the plasmodesmata permit the passage of current, it is estimated that they have a resistance about 60 times higher than would be the case if they were completely open channels. Electrical coupling has also been demonstrated between parenchymal cells in oat coleoptiles and between cortical cells in maize roots. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the symplastic transport of ions and other small molecules and in relation to the quantitative measurement of membrane resistance in multicellular tissue.