The effects of pH on ammonium uptake in plant cell culture

Author

Henry-York Steiner

Date of Award

12-1987

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Botany

Major Professor

Donald K. Dougall

Committee Members

G. Frazier, R. Henke, W. Smith, G. Stacey

Abstract

Plant cell suspension cultures were used to investigate the effects of pH on ammonium uptake in wild carrot cells. Cultures were grown at three pH's (4.5, 5.5, and 6.5) in a media containing ammonium as the sole nitrogen source. Cells were cultured initially semi-continuously followed by batch culture and growth, pH, and ammonium uptake followed in both. Both nitrogen limited and phosphate limited conditions were tested. The results indicated that pH effected ammonium uptake rate in carrot cell cultures. Nitrogen limited pH 4.5 semi-continuous cultures showed a higher uptake rate than of pH 5.5 or 6.5 cultures. In phosphate limited cultures, pH 5.5 showed the highest uptake rate. Little difference in ammonium uptake rate occured in batch culture at three pH's of semi-continuously grown cells. Large uptake differences did exist between cells previously cultured semi-continuously at different pH's. Cell morphology was also effected by pH. Greater than 75% of an individual culture grown at pH 5.5 or 6.5 was composed of cell aggregates 310 microns or greater. At pH 4.5, 71% of an individual culture was composed of cell aggregates 310 microns or less. From the results it was hypothesized that pH effects ammonium uptake rate through the aggregation or disaggregation of cells.

Recommended Citation

Steiner, Henry-York, "The effects of pH on ammonium uptake in plant cell culture. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 1987.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/13592