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The evolution of Ca2+ signalling in photosynthetic eukaryotes
John H F Bothwell1, Carl K-Y Ng
1Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK. jhbot@mba.ac.uk
The New Phytologist
|March 12, 2005
Summary
Cytosolic calcium (Ca2+) signaling is ancient in eukaryotes, using a toolkit of molecules. Modern plant calcium signaling likely evolved through modular adaptation of these ancient pathways.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Cytosolic calcium (Ca2+) elevations are crucial for eukaryotic signal transduction, operating via a conserved signaling toolkit.
- Eukaryotic organisms exhibit similar Ca2+ signaling patterns, suggesting either homologous toolkit components or convergent evolution (homoplasy).
- Some Ca2+ signaling components are shared across diverse eukaryotes like plants and animals, indicating ancient origins.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary origins and structural adaptations of plant cytosolic calcium ([Ca2+]cyt) signaling toolkits.
- To explore the potential modular adaptation of earlier signaling pathways in the evolution of plant-specific [Ca2+]cyt signaling.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of cytosolic calcium ([Ca2+]cyt) signaling toolkit components across different eukaryotic lineages.
- Phylogenetic reconstruction to infer homology and homoplasy in signaling pathway evolution.
- Examination of unique components within photosynthetic organisms' signaling toolkits.
Main Results:
- Identified conserved and unique components within the cytosolic calcium ([Ca2+]cyt) signaling toolkit across eukaryotes.
- Observed shared ancestral toolkit components between plants and animals.
- Highlighted specific components exclusive to photosynthetic organisms.
Conclusions:
- Plant cytosolic calcium ([Ca2+]cyt) signaling toolkits exhibit a mosaic of conserved and unique components.
- The structure of modern plant [Ca2+]cyt signaling pathways can be explained by the modular adaptation of ancestral pathways.
- Evolutionary processes have shaped distinct yet related calcium signaling mechanisms in eukaryotes.