PLANT K+ CHANNELS - SIMILARITY AND DIVERSITY

In this review we compared the electrophysiological properties of plan t K+ uptake channels from different plants and tissues. Taking into ac count the detailed knowledge of K+ channel properties, which has emerg ed since the application of the patch-clamp technique on plant cells, as well as results from our recent studies we were able to extract fea tures common among plant K+ channels. In addition, we focused on the d iversity that could create plant or tissue-specificity. Functional fin gerprints for the voltage-dependent K+ uptake channels were generated on the basis of their voltage-dependence, kinetics, permeability, cond uctance and pharmacology as well as regulation of K+ channels studied in their natural environment and cloned channels in heterologous expre ssion systems. Finally, sequence information on plant and animal K+ ch annels cloned so far was used to identify structural motifs that may b e related to functional phenotypes.