Ion channel-mediated electrical signaling and signal transduction in plants

Abstract

Plants are sessile organisms and therefore they have evolved molecular mechanisms to highly adapt to their environment;short- and long-term signal transduction. Short-term signal transduction includes responses to light, temperature, and ambient chemicals. Long-term signal transduction utilizes a complex network of interactions to coordinate biochemical and physiological responses such as flowering, fruit ripening, seed germination, photosynthetic regulation, and shoot or root development. The biological membrane serves not only as a partition that separates the inside and outside of cells and organelles, but also forms concentration gradients of compounds and electrical differences on either side of the membrane. This gives rise to both chemical and electrical gradients across the membrane, which establishes the membrane as a central role for signal transduction. This review focuses on the electric factor for plant hormone-mediated signal transduction. Recent studies have shown that anion channels and potassium channels coordinately modulate membrane potential and cellular ion strength in the response to environmental changes in various cells and tissues. We have described the similarities and dissimilarities with ion transport systems in neurotransmitter pathways and the molecular mechanisms involved in the maintenance of intracellular homeostasis in plants and in the differentiation of plant tissue growth.