There's more to the picture than meets the eye: nitric oxide cross talk with Ca2+ signaling

Plant Physiol. 2013 Oct;163(2):459-70. doi: 10.1104/pp.113.220624. Epub 2013 Jun 7.

Abstract

Calcium and nitric oxide (NO) are two important biological messengers. Increasing evidence indicates that Ca(2+) and NO work together in mediating responses to pathogenic microorganisms and microbe-associated molecular patterns. Ca(2+) fluxes were recognized to account for NO production, whereas evidence gathered from a number of studies highlights that NO is one of the key messengers mediating Ca(2+) signaling. Here, we present a concise description of the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the cross talk between Ca(2+) and NO in plant cells exposed to biotic stress. Particular attention will be given to the involvement of cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels and Ca(2+) sensors. Notably, we provide new evidence that calmodulin might be regulated at the posttranslational level by NO through S-nitrosylation. Furthermore, we report original transcriptomic data showing that NO produced in response to oligogalacturonide regulates the expression of genes related to Ca(2+) signaling. Deeper insight into the molecules involved in the interplay between Ca(2+) and NO not only permits a better characterization of the Ca(2+) signaling system but also allows us to further understand how plants respond to pathogen attack.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Calcium / metabolism
  • Calcium Signaling*
  • Calmodulin / chemistry
  • Calmodulin / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nitric Oxide / metabolism*
  • Plant Immunity / immunology

Substances

  • Calmodulin
  • Nitric Oxide
  • Calcium