Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 30, 2025
08:54
Imaging Spatial Reorganization of a MAPK Signaling Pathway Using the Tobacco Transient Expression System
Published on: March 20, 2016
9.8K
Volatile communication in plants relies on a KAI2-mediated signaling pathway
Shannon A Stirling1, Angelica M Guercio2, Ryan M Patrick1,3
1Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|March 21, 2024
Summary
Plants use volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for communication. A petunia receptor, PhKAI2ia, specifically detects (-)-germacrene D, initiating a signaling cascade that impacts plant development and fitness.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Chemical ecology
- Molecular signaling
Background:
- Plants interact via volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for communication, self-signaling, and microbe interactions.
- Mechanisms of VOC perception and signaling in plants are largely unknown.
- Volatile terpenoids play a role in reproductive organ development, serving as a model for plant communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the perception of volatile terpenoids in plants.
- To elucidate the signaling pathways involved in plant olfactory communication.
- To identify the role of KAI2 receptors in mediating responses to volatile signals.
Main Methods:
- Utilized petunia (Petunia hybrida) as a model system.
- Investigated the function of the karrikin-insensitive 2 (KAI2) receptor, specifically PhKAI2ia.
- Assessed the stereospecific perception of (-)-germacrene D and its downstream signaling effects.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that PhKAI2ia stereospecifically perceives the (-)-germacrene D signal.
- Showed that this perception triggers a KAI2-mediated signaling cascade.
- Observed an effect on plant fitness, indicating functional relevance of the detected signal.
Conclusions:
- Uncovered the role of intermediate clade KAI2 receptors in plant communication.
- Highlighted a KAI2ia-dependent signaling pathway in volatile-mediated plant interactions.
- Provided new insights into plant olfaction and potential endogenous ligands for KAI2 receptors.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:25Cell Signaling in Plants
5.6K
Plant cells communicate to coordinate their cycle of growth, flowering and fruiting, and activities in roots, shoots, and leaves in response to the changing environmental conditions. Plant signaling is distinct from animal signaling. Plants primarily utilize enzyme-linked receptors, whereas the largest class of cell-surface receptors in animals are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Unlike animals, receptor tyrosine kinases are rare in plants. Instead, plants have a diverse class of...
5.6K
02:12Short-distance Transport of Resources
16.0K
Short-distance transport refers to transport that occurs over a distance of just 2-3 cells, crossing the plasma membrane in the process. Small uncharged molecules, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water, can diffuse across the plasma membrane on their own. In contrast, ions and larger molecules require the assistance of transport proteins due to their charge or size. Transport across membranes also occurs within individual cells, playing a variety of essential roles for the plant as a whole.
16.0K
01:19Contact-dependent Signaling
44.6K
Contact-dependent signaling, as the name suggests, requires that communicating cells be in direct contact with each other. This is achieved either through receptor-ligand interactions or by specialized cytoplasmic channels that allow the flow of small molecules between cells. In animal cells, channels called gap junctions facilitate contact-dependent signaling in certain tissues, whereas, plasmodesmata perform a similar function in plants.
Gap Junctions
In animal cells, gap junctions are formed...
Gap Junctions
In animal cells, gap junctions are formed...
44.6K
01:27C4 Pathway and CAM
45.5K
Most plants use the C3 pathway for carbon fixation. However, some plants, such as sugar cane, corn, and cacti that grow in hot conditions, use alternative pathways to fix carbon and conserve energy loss due to photorespiration. Photorespiration is the process that occurs when the oxygen concentration is high. Under such conditions, the rubisco enzyme in the Calvin cycle binds O2 instead of CO2, which halts photosynthesis and consumes energy.
C4 Pathway
The C4 pathway is used by plants such as...
C4 Pathway
The C4 pathway is used by plants such as...
45.5K
01:19Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
6.3K
Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
6.3K
01:14Cell Adhesion in Plants
2.7K
Plants have rigid cell walls that are made up of cell wall polysaccharides that mediate cell-cell adhesion. The primary cell walls of plants consist of two independent and interacting polysaccharide networks: a pectin matrix that embeds the second network comprising cellulose and hemicelluloses.
Pectins are complex heteropolymers mainly composed of negatively-charged α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid and some neutral glycosyl residues such as α-L-rhamnopyranose, α-L-arabinofuranose,...
Pectins are complex heteropolymers mainly composed of negatively-charged α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid and some neutral glycosyl residues such as α-L-rhamnopyranose, α-L-arabinofuranose,...
2.7K