Redistribution of potassium, chloride and calcium during the gravitropically induced movement of Mimosa pudica pulvinus.

When the leaves of Mimosa pudica are changed from their normal position in the gravitational field, they perform reversible compensatory movements by means of pulvini. These movements are not the result of growth processes but involve reversible turgor variations. These variation are concomitant with ion migrations within pulvini: during the gravitropic movement, K(+) and Cl(-) shift towards the adaxial half of the motor organ whereas Ca(2+) shifts towards the abaxial half. Compounds known to affect K(+) transport, tetraethylammonium chloride and valinomycin, do not hinder the gravitropic movement but inhibit strongly the seismonastic reaction. The same general result is obtained with compounds affecting anion transport, disulfonic stilbenes and 9-anthracene carboxylic acid. Calcium chelators inhibit the gravitropic movement more efficiently than the seismonastic reaction and the calcium ionophore A 23 187 increases both movements. The data obtained with these various compounds indicate that ions do not have the same functional importance in the regulation of the two different pulvinar movements.