Work

Identification of cell populations necessary for leaf-to-leaf electrical signaling in a wounded plant

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: Significance Numerous modes of long-distance electrical signaling exist in nature. The best known of these, axonal conduction, requires one primary cell population, i.e., neurons. In contrast, the cell types that mediate leaf-to-leaf electrical signaling in wounded plants have not been defined rigorously. Using genetic approaches, we find that two distinct populations of cells in the vasculature matrix are needed to perform this function. Surprisingly, these cells do not contact each other directly. As we further defined the plant wound response, we found that wound-induced membrane depolarizations preceded large intravasculature calcium fluxes. We reveal a two-cell-type mode of electrical signaling in leaves and discuss parallels and differences in electrical signaling outside the plant kingdom.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1807049115

Authors: Chi Tam Nguyen, Andrzej Kurenda, Stéphanie Stolz, Aurore Chételat, Edward E. Farmer

Institution: University of Lausanne

Language: English

Topic: Plant and Biological Electrophysiology Studies

Subfield: Plant Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: National Science Foundation, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung

Awards: Cellular specificity in wound signalling and hormone synthesis in Arabidopsis, The role of GLR genes in long distance jasmonate signalling, G544591541, Signal Integration in Plants: UV-B, Shade and Biotic Stress, Wound activation of jasmonate signalling: extending the squeeze cell hypothesis