Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Wide-Field, Real-Time Imaging of Local and Systemic Wound Signals in Arabidopsis
Published on: June 4, 2021
The CBL-CIPK network in plant calcium signaling
1Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. sluan@nature.berkeley.edu
Abstract:
Calcium (Ca2+) is a ubiquitous second messenger in all eukaryotes. An outstanding question is how this cation serves as a messenger for numerous signals and confers specific cellular responses. Recent studies have established a concept termed 'Ca2+ signature' that specifies Ca2+ changes triggered by each signal. How do cells recognize these signatures (codes) and translate them into the correct cellular responses? The initial step in this 'decoding' process involves sensor proteins that bind Ca2+ and activate the downstream targets, thereby regulating the specific biochemical processes. Here, I review and discuss a set of Ca2+ sensors (calcineurin B-like proteins [CBLs]) and their targets (CBL-interacting protein kinases [CIPKs]) as an emerging paradigm for Ca2+ decoding in plants. The principles governing the action of the CBL-CIPK signaling network could be generally applicable to many other signaling networks in plants and other organisms.
Related Concept Videos
Cell Signaling in Plants
Calmodulin-dependent Signaling
The Ca2+-CaM complex does not have enzymatic activity by itself. Instead, the complex binds downstream target proteins, including membrane proteins or enzymes,...
C4 Pathway and CAM
C4 Pathway
The C4 pathway is used by plants such as...
IP3/DAG Signaling Pathway
Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration
Various transmembrane receptors, such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), elicit a response to extracellular signals by increasing cytosolic calcium. Activated GPCRs...
Short-distance Transport of Resources

