Shaping the calcium signature

• Published in: The New phytologist Vol. 181; no. 2; pp. 275 - 294
• Main Authors: McAinsh, Martin R., Pittman, Jon K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.2009; Blackwell Publishing; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Biological Clocks - genetics; Biological Clocks - physiology; Ca2+ channels; Ca2+ signature; Ca2+‐ATPase; Calcium; Calcium - metabolism; Calcium Channels - metabolism; Calcium Signaling - physiology; Carrier Proteins - metabolism; Ca²⁺ channels; Ca²⁺ signature; Ca²⁺-ATPase; Cell membranes; Gene expression regulation; Guard cells; H+/Ca2+exchanger; H⁺/Ca²⁺exchanger; modelling Ca2+ signals; modelling Ca²⁺ signals; Physiological regulation; Plant cells; Plant physiology; Plants; Plants - metabolism; Pumps; Second Messenger Systems; Signal Transduction; Signatures; Tansley Reviews
• ISSN: 0028-646X; 1469-8137
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2008.02682.x

Summary 275 I. Introduction 276 II. Ca²⁺ signalling pathways 276 III. Shaping Ca²⁺ signatures 278 IV. Ca²⁺ influx channels 278 V. Ca²⁺ influx channels as modulators of Ca²⁺ signatures 281 VI. Ca²⁺ efflux transporters 282 VII. Ca²⁺ efflux transporters as modulators of Ca²⁺ signatures 284 VIII. The shaping of noncytosolic Ca²⁺ signatures 285 IX. Future insights into the role of Ca²⁺ oscillators from modelling studies 287 X. Conclusions and perspectives 288 Acknowledgements 288 References 288 In numerous plant signal transduction pathways, Ca²⁺ is a versatile second messenger which controls the activation of many downstream actions in response to various stimuli. There is strong evidence to indicate that information encoded within these stimulus-induced Ca²⁺ oscillations can provide signalling specificity. Such Ca²⁺ signals, or 'Ca²⁺ signatures', are generated in the cytosol, and in noncytosolic locations including the nucleus and chloroplast, through the coordinated action of Ca²⁺ influx and efflux pathways. An increased understanding of the functions and regulation of these various Ca²⁺ transporters has improved our appreciation of the role these transporters play in specifically shaping the Ca²⁺ signatures. Here we review the evidence which indicates that Ca²⁺ channel, Ca²⁺-ATPase and Ca²⁺ exchanger isoforms can indeed modulate specific Ca²⁺ signatures in response to an individual signal.