Involvement of intracellular calcium in anaerobic gene expression and survival of maize seedlings

Ca-mediated processes are known to be involved in transducing many developmental, hormonal, and environmental cues in plant cells. In this study, the role of Ca in the perception of anoxic stress signals by maize (Zea mays L. cv B73) roots was assessed by studying the effect of various Ca antagonists on the induction of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and sucrose synthase mRNA as well as ADH activity under anoxia. The effect of these compounds on the poststress recovery of the seedlings was also monitored. Ruthenium red (RR), an inhibitor of organellar Ca fluxes, repressed the anoxic activation of the alcohol dehydrogenase1 and shrunken1 genes as measured by their transcript levels as well as ADH activity. Furthermore, RR-treated seedlings could not recover even after only 2 h of flooding, in contrast to untreated B73 seedlings that survived 72 h of submergence. Ca, when supplied along with RR, allowed normal anoxic gene expression and also prevented the RR-imposed death of the seedlings from short-term anoxia. Ca (45Ca) fluxes were measured in maize roots to elucidate the mode of action of RR. RR abolished anoxia-stimulated 45Ca influx into maize roots but did not affect aerobic Ca2+ uptake, unlike a few other antagonists that blocked both the aerobic and anoxic fluxes. However, Ca uptake across the plasma membrane was not necessary for the adaptive response to anoxia, since chelation of extracellular Ca by ethyleneglycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N'-tetraacetic acid or 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid did not affect the induction of ADH activity or poststress survival of flooded seedlings. The data suggest that RR may act on one of the intracellular stores of Ca and the Ca mobilized from this source is a physiological transducer of anoxic stress signals in maize roots.