Calcium and rhythms in plant cells

Abstract

Plants cells, like any other living organism, experience the daily rotation of the Earth. They also depend strikingly on light, as a result of which much of the plant's biochemistry, physiology, and behaviour are temporally organised with respect to the environmental oscillation of day and night. Here we review the most recent findings on plants rhythms and how they seem to be so tightly connected to calcium-signalling aspects. We also try to establish parallels between different cell types, such as pollen tubes and fungal hyphae, where the existence and function of rhythms and oscillations is not obvious. Additionally, we discuss new methodologies and how these are shaping our current working hypothesis to study Ca²⁺ rhythms in plant cells.

Keywords:

• Calcium
• circadian rhythms
• oscillation
• phytochrome
• signalling networks

Acknowledgements

The work in R.M. lab is supported by a UE TMR grant (TIPNET) and Fundação Ciência e Tecnologia, Lisboa, Portugal (Grants No BCI/37555/2001; BCI/44148/2002; FEDER).