Which ATPase is crucial for acidifying vacuoles in plant cells?
Plant central vacuole occupies major cellular volume functioning in turgor generation, storage of ions, sugars, pigments, anthocyanins and toxic metabolites, pH regulation and degradation analogous to animal lysosomes. Luminal pH typically 5 to 5.5 maintained acidic relative to cytosol 7.5 to support proton coupled antiport of calcium via CAX, sodium via NHX, sugars and sequestration of xenobiotics. Acidification achieved by two proton pumps coexisting in tonoplast: V-type proton ATPase and proton pyrophosphatase using pyrophosphate. Dominant contributor is V-ATPase, multisubunit rotary machin
Ref: Sze et al., Trends Plant Sci, Plant Vacuolar V-ATPase Acidification of Vacuoles and Tonoplast.