Ytterbium increases transmembrane water transport in Zea mays roots via aquaporin modulation.

In our study, the rare earth element ytterbium (Yb) was demonstrated to affect water exchange in roots of Zea mays seedlings. Herewith, the overall membrane permeability (P) increased. The P increase was determined by aquaporin activity but not the membrane lipid component since the closure of aquaporin channels due to low intracellular pH abolished the positive effect of Yb on P.

Characteristics of water and ion exchange of Elodea nuttallii cells at high concentrations of lanthanides.

Changes of diffusive permeability of membranes of Elodea nuttallii cells following a short-term (60 min) treatment with high concentrations of lanthanides were recorded by the H NMR-diffusometry and conductometry methods. The 1-h infiltration of segments of Elodea nuttallii internodes in 10 mM solutions of nitrates of La, Nd and Lu resulted in the increased leakage of electrolytes from cells, but has no effect on a water diffusive permeability of membranes. In samples subjected to a 30 min pretreatment with a water channel inhibitor HgCl the water diffusive permeability of membranes (P) drops down under the influence of lanthanides, as well as an outcome of electrolytes.

Water diffusion in cytoplasmic streaming in Elodea internodal cells under the effect of antimitotic agents.

The translational displacement of the cytoplasmic water in Elodea stem cells resulting from protein motor activity was measured using the NMR method. A 24-h treatment with vincristine results in a reduction of the translational displacement of the cytoplasmic water. With a constant cytoplasmic streaming velocity, the dynamics of the translational displacement of the cytoplasmic water under the effect of taxol are characterized by a continuous increase at a concentration of 0.