The calcium sensor CBL10 mediates salt tolerance by regulating ion homeostasis in Arabidopsis

Plant J. 2007 Nov;52(3):473-84. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2007.03249.x. Epub 2007 Sep 6.

Abstract

Calcium serves as a critical messenger in many adaptation and developmental processes. Cellular calcium signals are detected and transmitted by sensor molecules such as calcium-binding proteins. In plants, the calcineurin B-like protein (CBL) family represents a unique group of calcium sensors and plays a key role in decoding calcium transients by specifically interacting with and regulating a family of protein kinases (CIPKs). We report here that the CBL protein CBL10 functions as a crucial regulator of salt tolerance in Arabidopsis. Cbl10 mutant plants exhibited significant growth defects and showed hypersensitive cell death in leaf tissues under high-salt conditions. Interestingly, the Na(+) content of the cbl10 mutant, unlike other salt-sensitive mutants identified thus far, was significantly lower than in the wild type under either normal or high-salt conditions, suggesting that CBL10 mediates a novel Ca(2+)-signaling pathway for salt tolerance. Indeed, the CBL10 protein physically interacts with the salt-tolerance factor CIPK24 (SOS2), and the CBL10-CIPK24 (SOS2) complex is associated with the vacuolar compartments that are responsible for salt storage and detoxification in plant cells. These findings suggest that CBL10 and CIPK24 (SOS2) constitute a novel salt-tolerance pathway that regulates the sequestration/compartmentalization of Na(+) in plant cells. Because CIPK24 (SOS2) also interacts with CBL4 (SOS3) and regulates salt export across the plasma membrane, our study identifies CIPK24 (SOS2) as a multi-functional protein kinase that regulates different aspects of salt tolerance by interacting with distinct CBL calcium sensors.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism*
  • Calcium / metabolism*
  • Calcium Signaling
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Homeostasis
  • Intracellular Calcium-Sensing Proteins / genetics
  • Intracellular Calcium-Sensing Proteins / metabolism*
  • Intracellular Membranes / metabolism
  • Mutant Proteins / metabolism
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Sodium / metabolism*
  • Vacuoles / metabolism

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • CBL10 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins
  • Intracellular Calcium-Sensing Proteins
  • Mutant Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Sodium
  • SOS2 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Calcium