Encoding specificity in plant calcium signalling: hot-spotting the ups and downs and waves.
Calcium ions function as intracellular second messengers in regulating a plethora of cellular processes from acclimative stress responses to survival and programmed cell death. The generation of specificity in Ca2+ signals is dependent on influx and efflux from the extracellular milieu, cytosol and intracellular organelles. One aspect of plant Ca2+ signalling that is currently attracting a great deal of interest is how 'Ca2+-signatures', specific spatio-temporal changes in cytosolic-free Ca2+, encode the necessary information to bring about this range of physiological responses. Here, current information is reviewed on how Ca2+-signatures are generated in plant cells and how stimulus-specific information can be encoded in the form of Ca2+-signatures.
Ng
Carl K-Y
CK
Department of Botany, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Republic of Ireland.
McAinsh
Martin R
MR
D001692:Biological Transport / Q000502:physiology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena
D015220:Calcium Channels; D002118:Calcium