Issue 8, 2012

Modelling and experimental analysis of the role of interacting cytosolic and vacuolar pools in shaping low temperature calcium signatures in plant cells

Abstract

A major challenge to understanding low temperature calcium signatures in plants is defining how these signatures emerge from the interactions of different molecular components that are stored in different subcellular pools of a plant cell. Here we develop an integrative model that incorporates the interactions of Ca2+, H+, K+, Cl and ATP in both cytosolic and vacuolar pools. Our analysis reveals how these four major ions along with ATP forms a complex network to relate the emergence of calcium signatures to other responses (e.g. pH response). Modelling results are in agreement with experimental observations for both cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]c) and pH. The model is further validated by experimentally measuring the response of [Ca2+]c to six fluctuating (rather than constant) temperature profiles. We found that modelling results are in reasonable agreement with experimental observations, in particular, if the rate of reducing temperature is relatively high. In addition, we show that both calcium-induced calcium release (CICR) at the vacuolar membrane and transport of ions from the cytosolic pool to the vacuolar membrane play important roles in the interaction between cytosolic and vacuolar pools. In combination they control the amount and timing of calcium release from the vacuolar to cytosolic pool, shaping the specific calcium signature. The methodology and principles developed here establish an integrative view on the role of cytosolic and vacuolar pools in shaping calcium signatures in general, and they are universally applicable to study of the interactions of multiple subcellular pools.

Graphical abstract: Modelling and experimental analysis of the role of interacting cytosolic and vacuolar pools in shaping low temperature calcium signatures in plant cells

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
03 Oct 2011
Accepted
03 May 2012
First published
10 May 2012

Mol. BioSyst., 2012,8, 2205-2220

Modelling and experimental analysis of the role of interacting cytosolic and vacuolar pools in shaping low temperature calcium signatures in plant cells

J. Liu, H. Knight, C. H. Hurst and M. R. Knight, Mol. BioSyst., 2012, 8, 2205 DOI: 10.1039/C2MB25072A

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