Voltage-dependent calcium-permeable channels in the plasma membrane of a higher plant cell.
Numerous biological assays and pharmacological studies on various higher plant tissues have led to the suggestion that voltage-dependent plasma membrane Ca2+ channels play prominent roles in initiating signal transduction processes during plant growth and development. However, to date no direct evidence has been obtained for the existence of such depolarization-activated Ca2+ channels in the plasma membrane of higher plant cells. Carrot suspension cells (Daucus carota L.) provide a well-suited system to determine whether voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels are present in the plasma membrane of higher plants and to characterize the properties of putative Ca2+ channels. It is known that both depolarization, caused by raising extracellular K+, and exposure to fungal toxins or oligogalacturonides induce Ca2+ influx into carrot cells. By direct application of patch-clamp techniques to isolated carrot protoplasts, we show here that depolarization of the plasma membrane positive to -135 mV activates Ca(2+)-permeable channels. These voltage-dependent ion channels were more permeable to Ca2+ than K+, while displaying large permeabilities to Ba2+ and Mg2+ ions. Ca(2+)-permeable channels showed slow and reversible inactivation. The single-channel conductance was 13 pS in 40 mM CaCl2. These data provide direct evidence for the existence of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels in the plasma membrane of a higher plant cell and point to physiological mechanisms for plant Ca2+ channel regulation. The depolarization-activated Ca(2+)-permeable channels identified here could constitute a regulated pathway for Ca2+ influx in response to physiologically occurring stimulus-induced depolarizations in higher plant cells.
Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0116.
P
P
Thuleau
J M
JM
Ward
R
R
Ranjeva
J I
JI
Schroeder
D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D002413:Cations, Divalent / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000502:physiology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D011523:Protoplasts / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D014675:Vegetables / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
D015220:Calcium Channels; D002413:Cations, Divalent