Shaker-like potassium channels in Populus, regulated by the CBL-CIPK signal transduction pathway, increase tolerance to low-K+ stress

Plant Cell Rep. 2010 Sep;29(9):1007-12. doi: 10.1007/s00299-010-0886-9. Epub 2010 Jun 26.

Abstract

Shaker-like potassium channels in plants play an important role in potassium absorption and transport. Here, we characterized 11 genes encoding shaker-like channels from Populus trichocarpa. Furthermore, two homologs from this family were isolated from Populus euphratica and named PeKC1 and PeKC2. Subcellular localization analysis of them in Nicotiana benthamiana revealed that they are located in the cell membrane. Yeast two-hybrid assays showed that they not only interacted strongly with PeCIPK24, a homolog of AtCIPK23, but also interacted with several other CIPK members, including PeCIPK10 and PeCIPK17. To further analyze their function, we over-expressed PeKC1 or PeKC2 in akt1 mutant, the results show that the transgenic plant can recover the mutant phonotype sensitive to low-K(+) stress. This means PeKC1 or PeKC2 can complement the function of AKT1 in akt1 mutant, involved in the CBL1-CIPK23 signal transduction pathway and play an important role under low-K(+) stress.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Comparative Genomic Hybridization
  • Computational Biology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Phylogeny
  • Plant Proteins / genetics
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism*
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / genetics
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / metabolism
  • Populus / genetics*
  • Populus / metabolism
  • Potassium / metabolism*
  • RNA, Plant / genetics
  • Shaker Superfamily of Potassium Channels / genetics
  • Shaker Superfamily of Potassium Channels / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Stress, Physiological
  • Two-Hybrid System Techniques

Substances

  • Plant Proteins
  • RNA, Plant
  • Shaker Superfamily of Potassium Channels
  • Potassium