Calcium acetate induces calcium uptake and formation of calcium-oxalate crystals in isolated leaflets of Gleditsia triacanthos L.

During treatment of isolated, peeled leaflets of Gleditsia triacanthos with 0.5-2 mM [(45)Ca]acetate, saturation of the cell-wall free space with Ca(2+) occurred within 10 min and was followed by a period of 6-10 h during which there was no significant Ca-uptake into the protoplast, but apoplastic Ca(2+) was periodically released into the medium. Later, Ca(2+) was absorbed for 3-4 d at rates of up to 2.2 μmol Ca(2+)·h(-1)·(g FW)(-1) to final concentrations of 350 μmol Ca(2+)· (g FW)(-1). The distribution of absorbed Ca(2+) between cell wall, vacuole and Ca-oxalate crystals was determined during Ca-uptake. Wheras intact, cut leaflets deposited absorbed Ca(2+) as Ca-oxalate in the crystal cells, peeled leaflets lacking crystal cells accumulated at least 40-50 μmol·(g FW)(-1) soluble Ca(2+) before the absorbed Ca(2+) was precipitated as Ca-oxalate. These observations indicate that the mechanisms for the continuous uptake of Ca(2+), the synthesis of oxalate and the precipitation of Ca(2+) as Ca-oxalate are operational in the crystal cells of intact leaflets, but not in the mesophyll cells of peeled leaflets where they must be induced by exposure to Ca(2+). The precipitation of absorbed Ca(2+) as Ca-oxalate by the crystal cells of isolated Gleditsia leaflets illustrates the role of these cells in the excretion of surplus Ca(2+) which enters normal, attached leaves with the transpiration stream.In addition to acetate, only Ca-lactate and Ca-carbonate lead to Ca-uptake, but at rates well below those observed with Ca-acetate. Other small organic anions (citrate, glycolate, glyoxalate, malate) and inorganic anions (chloride, nitrate, sulfate) did not permit Ca-uptake. Acetate-(14)C was rapidly absorbed during Ca-uptake, but less than 20% was incorporated into Ca-oxalate; the rest remained mostly in the soluble fraction or was metabolized to CO2. Acetate, as a permeable weak acid, may enable rapid Ca-uptake by stimulating proton extrusion at the plasmalemma and by serving as a counterion during Ca-accumulation in the vacuole, but is unlikely to function as the principal substrate for oxalate synthesis.