Acidic Stress Induces Cytosolic Free Calcium Oscillation, and an Appropriate Low pH Helps Maintain the Circadian Clock in Arabidopsis

Acidic stress is a formidable environmental factor that exerts adverse effects on plant growth and development, ultimately leading to a potential reduction in agricultural productivity. A low pH triggers Ca<sup>2+</sup> influx across the plasma membrane (PM), eliciting distinct responses...

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Main Authors: Wei Chen, Jing Xu, Jia Chen, Jun-Feng Wang, Shu Zhang, Zhen-Ming Pei
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Plants
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/21/3107
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Summary:Acidic stress is a formidable environmental factor that exerts adverse effects on plant growth and development, ultimately leading to a potential reduction in agricultural productivity. A low pH triggers Ca<sup>2+</sup> influx across the plasma membrane (PM), eliciting distinct responses under various acidic pH levels. However, the underlying mechanisms by which Arabidopsis plant cells generate stimulus-specific Ca<sup>2+</sup> signals in response to acidic stress remain largely unexplored. The experimentally induced stimulus may elicit spikes in cytosolic free Ca<sup>2+</sup> concentration ([Ca<sup>2+</sup>]<sub>i</sub>) spikes or complex [Ca<sup>2+</sup>]<sub>i</sub> oscillations that persist for 20 min over a long-term of 24 h or even several days within the plant cytosol and chloroplast. This study investigated the increase in [Ca<sup>2+</sup>]<sub>i</sub> under a gradient of low pH stress ranging from pH 3.0 to 6.0. Notably, the peak of [Ca<sup>2+</sup>]<sub>i</sub> elevation was lower at pH 4.0 than at pH 3.0 during the initial 8 h, while other pH levels did not significantly increase [Ca<sup>2+</sup>]<sub>i</sub> compared to low acidic stress conditions. Lanthanum chloride (LaCl<sub>3</sub>) can effectively suppress the influx of [Ca<sup>2+</sup>]<sub>i</sub> from the apoplastic to the cytoplasm in plants under acid stress, with no discernible difference in intracellular calcium levels observed in Arabidopsis. Following 8 h of acid treatment in the darkness, the intracellular baseline Ca<sup>2+</sup> levels in Arabidopsis were significantly elevated when exposed to low pH stress. A moderately low pH, specifically 4.0, may function as a spatial-temporal input into the circadian clock system. These findings suggest that acid stimulation can exert a continuous influence on intracellular calcium levels, as well as plant growth and development.
ISSN:2223-7747