Wind-induced plant motion immediately increases cytosolic calcium
M.R. Knight, S.M. Smith, and A.J. Trewavas
Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh
Plant Biology (1992) 89: 4967–4971
Wind is a primary environmental variable that markedly influences the growth, development, and distribution of plants.
Plant motion due to wind affects plant growth (thigmomorphogenesis). Prior to this paper (1992), no data suggested how wind signals were perceived and transduced by plant cells. By using transgenic Nicotiana plumbaginifolia plants expressing aequorin (bioluminescent protein), the luminous plants directly report cytosolic calcium by emitting blue light.
Ribbon diagram of the crystal structure of Aequorin from PDB entry 1EJ3 (Assumed biological molecule)
© RCSB Protein Data Bank
In the experiments, these plants showed rapid increase in cytosolic calcium concentration in response to touch, fungal elicitors and cold shock. However, there were no responses to plant growth regulators, heat shock or range of chemical treatments.
The results concluded that wind induced plant motion rapidly increases cytosolic calcium - indicating the possible involvement of calcium signalling in mediating plants growth responses to wind.
The movements of tissues by wind is responsible for increase of cytosolic calcium. This occurs when the plant is in motion. Thereby suggesting that mechanoperception in plant cells may possibly be transduced through intracellular calcium.