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Updated: Dec 14, 2025

Forward Genetic Screen Using Transgenic Calcium Reporter Aequorin to Identify Novel Targets in Calcium Signaling
Published on: August 1, 2020
Viewpoint: Concept of redesigning proteins by manipulating calcium/calmodulin-binding domains to engineer plants with
Tianbao Yang1, Liqun Du1, B W Poovaiah2
1Center for Integrated Biotechnology and Department of Horticulture, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6414, USA.
Abstract:
The importance of calcium and calcium-binding proteins such as calmodulin in plant growth and development as well as plant response to environmental stimuli has been recognised for some time. However, it is only recently that the underlying mechanisms have begun to be unravelled. A variety of intracellular calcium signatures have been observed in response to various stimuli. However, how these changes induce downstream actions and how one can manipulate these events to alter plant response is an area of major interest. Here we discuss the recent advances on three intriguing calcium/calmodulin-regulated proteins: a calcium/calmodulin-regulated metabolic enzyme (DWF1); a chimeric calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CCaMK); and a family of calcium/calmodulin-regulated transcription factors (AtSRs or CAMTAs). These proteins play critical roles in plant growth, plant : microbe interactions and plant response to multiple environmental signals. The identification and manipulation of calcium-binding and calmodulin-binding sites in these proteins have provided direct evidence for the role of calcium-binding and calmodulin-binding to the proteins, as well as providing new ways to rebuild the proteins and engineer plants to obtain desired traits.
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