Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 19, 2026
12:27
A Pipeline to Investigate the Structures and Signaling Pathways of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptors
Published on: June 8, 2022
4.0K
Pi sensing and signalling: from prokaryotic to eukaryotic cells
Wanjun Qi1, Stephen A Baldwin2, Stephen P Muench2
1School of Biomedical Sciences, and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K. School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Centre for Plant Sciences and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K. bswq@leeds.ac.uk.
Biochemical Society Transactions
|June 11, 2016
Summary
Phosphate (Pi) regulation is crucial for all life. This review compares Pi sensing and signaling in plants to bacteria and yeast, highlighting differences and similarities to improve crop efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Molecular biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Phosphorus is an essential macronutrient for all organisms, vital for structure, signaling, and energy metabolism.
- Phosphate (Pi) sensing and signaling are well-understood in single-celled organisms like bacteria and yeast.
- Pi availability often limits crop yield, making plant Pi regulation a critical research area.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare phosphate (Pi) regulation pathways in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
- To identify similarities and differences in Pi sensing and signaling mechanisms across diverse organisms.
- To provide insights for future research on improving plant Pi use efficiency.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of existing literature on Pi regulation pathways.
- Review of molecular mechanisms involved in phosphate sensing and signaling.
- Identification of conserved and divergent regulatory strategies.
Main Results:
- Similarities exist in Pi sensing and signaling pathways between plants and microorganisms.
- Distinct regulatory mechanisms are also observed, particularly in higher eukaryotes.
- Understanding these pathways is key to addressing Pi limitation in agriculture.
Conclusions:
- Comparative studies reveal conserved and unique aspects of phosphate homeostasis.
- Further research into plant-specific Pi regulation can enhance crop productivity.
- Improved understanding of Pi signaling is essential for sustainable agriculture.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Bacterial Signaling
42.8K
Bacterial signaling can occur within bacteria (intracellular) or between bacteria (intercellular). At times, a group of bacteria behaves like a community. To achieve this, they engage in quorum sensing, the perception of higher cell density that causes changes in gene expression. Quorum sensing involves both extracellular and intracellular signaling. The signaling cascade starts with a molecule called an autoinducer (AI). Individual bacteria produce AIs that move out of the bacterial cell...
42.8K
01:28Yeast Signaling
18.4K
Yeasts are single-celled organisms, but unlike bacteria, they are eukaryotes (cells with a nucleus). Cell signaling in yeast is similar to signaling in other eukaryotic cells. A ligand, such as a protein or a small molecule released from a yeast cell, attaches to a receptor on the cell surface. The binding stimulates second-messenger kinases to activate or inactivate transcription factors that further regulate gene expression. Many of the yeast intracellular signaling cascades have similar...
18.4K
01:23Overview of Cell Signaling
25.7K
Despite the protective membrane that separates a cell from the environment, cells need the ability to detect and respond to environmental changes. Additionally, cells often need to communicate with one another. Unicellular and multicellular organisms use a variety of cell signaling mechanisms to communicate with the environment.
Cells respond to many types of information, often through receptor proteins positioned on the membrane. For example, skin cells respond to and transmit touch...
Cells respond to many types of information, often through receptor proteins positioned on the membrane. For example, skin cells respond to and transmit touch...
25.7K
02:03What is Cell Signaling?
133.2K
Despite the protective membrane that separates a cell from the environment, cells need the ability to detect and respond to environmental changes. Additionally, cells often need to communicate with one another. Unicellular and multicellular organisms use a variety of cell signaling mechanisms to communicate to respond to the environment.
133.2K
01:28Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing
849
Quorum sensing is a mechanism of bacterial communication that enables coordinated gene expression in response to changes in population density. This facilitates collective behaviors that enhance survival, resource acquisition, and ecological adaptation. This process relies on small signaling molecules called autoinducers that accumulate as bacterial populations grow. When a critical threshold concentration of autoinducers is reached, bacterial cells collectively modify gene expression,...
849
01:17Microbial Biosensors
5
Microbial biosensors are analytical devices that utilize living microbes to detect specific substances through measurable signals. These devices consist of two main components: biosensing organisms and signal-transducing elements. Biosensing organisms, such as Escherichia coli or Saccharomyces cerevisiae, are typically housed in multiwell plates connected to transducers, enabling rapid, real-time detection of target analytes.Signal Generation MechanismWhen a target analyte—such as...
5