Ion imbalance in Capsicum annuum, scabrous diminutive, a wilty mutant of pepper I. Sodium fluxes

Leaves of the wilty pepper mutant, scabrous diminutive, accumulate more Na+ than those of the normal genotype, when both grow in medium containing N⁺. It seems that the regulation of Na⁺ flux in the mutant root was modified. Net uptake of Na⁺ was much higher and efflux of ²²Na⁺ was lower in the mutant roots than in the normal ones. Two possible explanations for these differences between mutant and normal plants are discussed, namely (a) a change in membrane permeability and (b) a change in the mechanism of Na⁺ extrusion.