Extracellular calmodulin: A polypeptide signal in plants?  

作　　者：孙大业 唐文强 马力耕 

出　　处：《Science China(Life Sciences)》2001年第5期449-460,共12页中国科学（生命科学英文版）

基　　金：the National NaturalScience Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 39730230, 39870365), the National Key Basic Research Special Funds of China (Grant No. G19990117) and the National Outstanding Young Scientist Fellowship of China (Grant No. 30025024).

摘　　要：Traditionally, calmodulin (CaM) was thought to be a multi-functional receptor for intracellular Ca2+ signals. But in the last ten years, it was found that CaM also exists and acts extracellularly in animal and plant cells to regulate many important physiological functions. Laboratory studies by the authors showed that extracellular CaM in plant cells can stimulate the proliferation of suspension cultured cell and protoplast; regulate pollen germination and pollen tube elongation,and stimulate the light-independent gene expression of Rubisco small subunit (rbcS). Furthermore,we defined the trans-membrane and intracellular signal transduction pathways for extracellular CaM by using a pollen system. The components in this pathway include heterotrimeric G-protein,phospholipase C, IP3, calcium signal and protein phosphorylation etc. Based on our findings, we suggest that extracellular CaM is a polypeptide signal in plants. This idea strongly argues against the traditional concept that there is no intercellular polypeptide signal in plants.Traditionally, calmodulin (CaM) was thought to be a multi-functional receptor for intra-cellular Ca2+ signals. But in the last ten years, it was found that CaM also exists and acts extracel-lularly in animal and plant cells to regulate many important physiological functions. Laboratory studies by the authors showed that extracellular CaM in plant cells can stimulate the proliferation of suspension cultured cell and protoplast; regulate pollen germination and pollen tube elongation, and stimulate the light-independent gene expression of Rubisco small subunit (rbcS). Furthermore, we defined the trans-membrane and intracellular signal transduction pathways for extracellular CaM by using a pollen system. The components in this pathway include heterotrimeric G-protein, phospholipase C, IP3, calcium signal and protein phosphorylation etc. Based on our findings, we suggest that extracellular CaM is a polypeptide signal in plants. This idea strongly argues against the traditional concept that there is no intercellular polypeptide signal in plants.

关 键 词：signal transduction extracellular calmodulin polypeptide signal. 

分 类 号：Q946[生物学—植物学]