Methanol induces cytosolic calcium variations, membrane depolarization and ethylene production in arabidopsis and tobacco.
ANNALS OF BOTANY 2018;
122:849-860. [PMID:
29579139 PMCID:
PMC6215043 DOI:
10.1093/aob/mcy038]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Background and Aims
Methanol is a volatile organic compound released from plants through the action of pectin methylesterases (PMEs), which demethylesterify cell wall pectins. Plant PMEs play a role in developmental processes but also in responses to herbivory and infection by fungal or bacterial pathogens. However, molecular mechanisms that explain how methanol could affect plant defences remain poorly understood.
Methods
Using cultured cells and seedlings from Arabidopsis thaliana and tobacco BY2 expressing the apoaequorin gene, allowing quantification of cytosolic Ca2+, a reactive oxygen species (ROS) probe (CLA, Cypridina luciferin analogue) and electrophysiological techniques, we followed early plant cell responses to exogenously supplied methanol applied as a liquid or as volatile.
Key Results
Methanol induces cytosolic Ca2+ variations that involve Ca2+ influx through the plasma membrane and Ca2+ release from internal stores. Our data further suggest that these Ca2+ variations could interact with different ROS and support a signalling pathway leading to well known plant responses to pathogens such as plasma membrane depolarization through anion channel regulation and ethylene synthesis.
Conclusions
Methanol is not only a by-product of PME activities, and our data suggest that [Ca2+]cyt variations could participate in signalling processes induced by methanol upstream of plant defence responses.
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