Jc. Long et Gi. Jenkins, Involvement of plasma membrane redox activity and calcium homeostasis in the UV-B and UV-A blue light induction of gene expression in Arabidopsis, PL CELL, 10(12), 1998, pp. 2077-2086
UV and blue light are important regulators of plant gene expression and dev
elopment. We investigated the signal transduction processes involved in the
induction of chalcone synthase (CHS) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL)
gene expression by UV-B and UV-A/blue right in an Arabidopsis cell suspens
ion culture. Experiments with electron transport inhibitors indicated that
plasma membrane redox activity is involved in both signal transduction path
ways. Calcium ionophore treatment stimulated expression of the TOUCH3 gene,
and this induction was strongly antagonized by UV-A/blue and UV-B tight, s
uggesting that both light qualities may promote calcium efflux from the cyt
osol. Consistent with this hypothesis, experiments with specific inhibitors
indicated that UV-B and UV-A/blue light regulate calcium levels in a cytos
olic pool in part via the action of specific Ca2+-ATPases. On the basis of
these and previous findings, we propose that plasma membrane redox activity
, initiated by photoreception, is coupled to the regulation of calcium rele
ase from an intracellular store, generating a calcium signal that is requir
ed to induce CHS expression.