Glutamate triggers long-distance, calcium-based plant defense signaling

Animals require rapid, long-range molecular signaling networks to integrate sensing and response throughout their bodies. The amino acid glutamate acts as an excitatory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate central nervous system, facilitating long-range information exchange via activation of glutamate...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2018-09, Vol.361 (6407), p.1112-1115
Main Authors: Toyota, Masatsugu, Spencer, Dirk, Sawai-Toyota, Satoe, Jiaqi, Wang, Zhang, Tong, Koo, Abraham J, Howe, Gregg A, Gilroy, Simon
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino acids
Anatomy
Calcium
Calcium (intracellular)
Calcium ions
Calcium signalling
Central nervous system
Glutamic acid receptors
Information systems
Insects
Ion channels
Ion concentration
Leaves
Nibbling
Organs
Plasmodesmata
Receptor channels
Science & Technology - Other Topics
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Summary:Animals require rapid, long-range molecular signaling networks to integrate sensing and response throughout their bodies. The amino acid glutamate acts as an excitatory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate central nervous system, facilitating long-range information exchange via activation of glutamate receptor channels. Similarly, plants sense local signals, such as herbivore attack, and transmit this information throughout the plant body to rapidly activate defense responses in undamaged parts. Here we show that glutamate is a wound signal in plants. Ion channels of the family act as sensors that convert this signal into an increase in intracellular calcium ion concentration that propagates to distant organs, where defense responses are then induced.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.aat7744