title: Calcium signaling during abiotic stress in plants.
abstract: Plants experience a wide array of environmental stimuli, not all of which are favorable, and, unlike animals, are unable to move away from stressful environments. They therefore require a mechanism with which to recognize and respond to abiotic stresses of many different types. Frequently this mechanism involves intracellular calcium. Stress-induced changes in the cytosolic concentration of Ca2+ ([Ca2+]cyt) occur as a result of influx of Ca2+ from outside the cell, or release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores. These alterations in [Ca2+]cyt constitute a signal that is transduced via calmodulin, calcium-dependent protein kinases, and other Ca(2+)-controlled proteins to effect a wide array of downstream responses involved in the protection of the plant and adjustment to the new environmental conditions. Ca2+ signaling has been implicated in plant responses to a number of abiotic stresses including low temperature, osmotic stress, heat, oxidative stress, anoxia, and mechanical perturbation, which are reviewed in this article.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, United Kingdom. Heather.Knight@plants.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Knight
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D003080:Cold Temperature; D018882:Heat Stress Disorders; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010944:Plants / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013697:Thermosensing
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium