title: Role of early signalling events in plant-insect interactions.
abstract: The response of plants to the stress caused by herbivores involves several different defence mechanisms. These responses begin at the plant cell plasma membrane, where insect herbivores interact physically by causing mechanical damage and chemically by introducing elicitors or by triggering plant-derived signalling molecules. The earliest plant responses to herbivore contact are represented by ion flux unbalances generated in the plant cell plasma membrane at the damaged site. Differences in the charge distribution generate plasma transmembrane potential (V m) variation, the first event, which eventually leads to the initiation of signal transduction pathways and gene expression. Calcium signalling and the generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are early events closely related to V m variations. This review provides an update on recent developments and advances in plant early signalling in response to herbivory, with particular emphasis on the electrophysiological variations of the plasma membrane potential, calcium signalling, cation channel activity, production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, and formation of a systemically moving signal from wounded tissues. The roles of calcium-dependent protein kinases and calcineurin signalling are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, 301 Funchess Hall, Auburn 36849, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Simon A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Zebelo
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Innovation Centre, University of Turin, Via Quarello 15/A, Turin 10135, Italy massimo.maffei@unito.it.
authors.forename: Massimo E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Maffei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000502:physiology*; D007313:Insecta / Q000502:physiology*; D010944:Plants / Q000469:parasitology*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium
keywords: Biotic stress; calcium signalling; plant electrophysiology; reactive oxygen and nitrogen species; signal transduction; transmembrane potential (Vm).