Journal Article

Calcium Signals: The Lead Currency of Plant Information Processing

Kudla, Jörg, Hashimoto, Kenji, Batistič, Oliver

2010

Overview

Ca²⁺ signals are core transducers and regulators in many adaptation and developmental processes of plants. Ca²⁺ signals are represented by stimulus-specific signatures that result from the concerted action of channels, pumps, and carriers that shape temporally and spatially defined Ca²⁺ elevations. Cellular Ca²⁺ signals are decoded and transmitted by a toolkit of Ca²⁺ binding proteins that relay this information into downstream responses. Major transduction routes of Ca²⁺ signaling involve Ca²⁺-regulated kinases mediating phosphorylation events that orchestrate downstream responses or comprise regulation of gene expression via Ca²⁺-regulated transcription factors and Ca²⁺-responsive promoter elements. Here, we review some of the remarkable progress that has been made in recent years, especially in identifying critical components functioning in Ca²⁺ signal transduction, both at the single-cell and multicellular level. Despite impressive progress in our understanding of the processing of Ca²⁺ signals during the past years, the elucidation of the exact mechanistic principles that underlie the specific recognition and conversion of the cellular Ca²⁺ currency into defined changes in protein—protein interaction, protein phosphorylation, and gene expression and thereby establish the specificity in stimulus response coupling remain to be explored.

• Publisher: American Society of Plant Biologists
• Subject: binding proteins / Calcium / Calcium - metabolism / Calcium Channels / Calcium Channels - metabolism / Calcium Signaling / Cell membranes / gene expression / Gene expression regulation / Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Guard cells / metabolism / Phosphorylation / Plant cells / plant development / Plant Root Nodulation / Plant roots / Plant Stomata / Plant Stomata - metabolism / Plants / Plants - metabolism / promoter regions / Promoter Regions, Genetic / protein phosphorylation / protein-protein interactions / Proteins / REVIEW / Sensors / signal transduction / Signatures / transcription factors / Transcription Factors - metabolism / Transcription, Genetic / Transducers