Methods for Studying of Plant Membrane Transport

Plasma membrane or cell membrane is a biological active membrane separating the interior of cell from the outside environment. The transport system enables the entry of necessary nutrients into the cells and exports the macromolecules (such as lipids, proteins, carbohydrates). Studying the transport reactions of plasma membranes has been researched more with the development of techniques for isolating membranes and tonoplasts. The techniques for studying membrane transport in plants can be performed at different levels. At molecular levels, the available techniques are patch-clamp and single channel studies. The fluorescence microscopy and intracellular microelectrode measurements are used at cellular level. For the whole plant, the methods can be radioactive tracers. To study the mechanisms of transport processes and plant membrane properties were investigated using different models of phospholipid membranes. From the phospholipid membranes, the properties and functions of real biological membranes can be easily understood. Important methods for studying of plant membrane transport are summarized in the table.