Effects of Kinetin on the Permeability of Allium cepa Cells.

Permeability changes of Allium cepa cells were studied by a plasmometric method. Onion epidermis was floated in phosphate buffer solution with kinetin (2.5 milligrams/liter), or buffer without kinetin as a control, for 10 hours. The treated and control tissues were then transferred to one of the following four permeants: thiourea, urea, maloamide, dimethylurea.Kinetin treatment increased the permeability of onion epidermal cells to thiourea and urea. The kinetin effect on permeability to malonamide and dimethylurea was not significant. It is suggested that kinetin might affect the protein component of the cell membrane.