A Central Role for Magnesium Homeostasis during Adaptation to Osmotic Stress

Environments with high concentrations of salt or other solutes impose an osmotic stress on cells, ultimately limiting viability by dehydration of the cytosol. A very common cellular response to high osmolarity is to immediately import high levels of potassium ion (K + ), which helps prevent dehydration and allows time for the import or synthesis of biocompatible solutes that allow a resumption of growth.