Tansley Review No. 106 Cyclic nucleotides in higher plants: the enduring paradox

For three decades, hypotheses relating to the occurrence and function of cyclic nucleotides in higher plants have been highly controversial. Although cyclic nucleotides had been shown to have key regulatory roles in animals and bacteria, investigations with higher plants in the 1970s and early 1980s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The New phytologist 1999-09, Vol.143 (3), p.427-455
Main Authors: NEWTON, RUSSELL P., ROEF, LUC, WITTERS, ERWIN, VAN ONCKELEN, HARRY
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biochemistry
Biological and medical sciences
Cell biochemistry
Cell cycle
Cell physiology
Cyclic nucleotides
Enzymes
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gene expression regulation
Nucleotides
Phosphorylation
Plant biochemistry
Plant cells
Plant physiology and development
Plants
Tansley Review
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Summary:For three decades, hypotheses relating to the occurrence and function of cyclic nucleotides in higher plants have been highly controversial. Although cyclic nucleotides had been shown to have key regulatory roles in animals and bacteria, investigations with higher plants in the 1970s and early 1980s were criticized on the basis of (i) a lack of specificity of effects apparently elicited by cyclic nucleotides, (ii) the equivocal identification of putative endogenous cyclic nucleotides and (iii) ambiguity in the identification of enzymes connected with cyclic nucleotide. More recent evidence based on more rigorous identification procedures has demonstrated conclusively the presence of cyclic nucleotides, nucleotidyl cyclases and cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases in higher plants, and has identified plant processes subject to regulation by cyclic nucleotides. Here we review the history of the debate, the recent evidence establishing the presence of these compounds and their role; future research objectives are discussed.
ISSN:0028-646X
1469-8137
DOI:10.1046/j.1469-8137.1999.00478.x