title: Cytokinin stimulates dihydropyridine-sensitive calcium uptake in moss protoplasts.
abstract: Ca2+ influx through dihydropyridine (DHP)-sensitive Ca2+ channels is thought to be an early event in cytokinin-induced bud formation in moss protonema because DHP antagonists inhibit bud formation in the presence of cytokinin and DHP agonists stimulate bud formation in the absence of cytokinin [Conrad, P. A. & Helper, P. K. (1988) Plant Physiol. 86, 684-687]. In the present study, we established the presence of a DHP-sensitive Ca2+ transport system by measuring 45Ca2+ influx into moss protoplasts. Ca2+ influx was stimulated by external KCl (up to 5 mM), indicating that transport is voltage-dependent. K(+)-induced Ca2+ influx was DHP-sensitive with > 50% inhibition at 500 nM nifedipine. Ca2+ influx was stimulated by increasing concentrations of the DHP Ca2+ channel agonist Bay K8644 with half-maximal effects at 25 nM; this stimulation was seen only in the absence of K+, suggesting that the agonist works preferentially on polarized membranes. Ca2+ influx was also inhibited by phenylalkylamines (verapamil) and benzothiazepines (diltiazem). The phytohormone 6-benzylaminopurine consistently stimulated Ca2+ influx with a Km value of 1 nM, whereas adenine, indoleacetic acid, and gibberellic acid had no effect on Ca2+ transport. The cytokinins kinetin and trans-zeatin caused a greater stimulation of Ca2+ influx and induced more bud formation than did 6-benzylaminopurine. These results indicate that Ca2+ is taken up into moss protoplasts through voltage-dependent DHP-sensitive Ca2+ channels on the plasma membrane and that one of the cytokinin effects in the induction of bud formation is regulation of this plasma membrane Ca2+ channel.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson 85721.
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Schumaker
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gizinski
mesh_terms: D001498:3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-, Methyl ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D001692:Biological Transport; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004095:Dihydropyridines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000187:drug effects; D059828:Plant Cells; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000502:physiology; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D011188:Potassium / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D004095:Dihydropyridines; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D001498:3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-, Methyl ester; C038806:1,4-dihydropyridine; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium