Ca2+ oscillations in plant cells: initiation by rapid elevation in cytosolic free Ca2+ levels

Temporal increases in intracellular [Ca2+] are now recognized to be key triggers for a wide range of important physiological events in eukaryotic cells. In mammalian cells, signal-induced Ca2+-elevations have been found to be of a pulsatile nature and Ca2+ spikes display a high degree of spatiotemporal complexity. In plant cells a similar picture is beginning to emerge. To investigate the occurrence of pulsatile Ca2+ signals in plant cells we studied alterations of [Ca2+] in the tip region of pollen tubes from poppy (Papaver rhoeas). Time-Resolved Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy of pollen tubes microinjected with the Dextran-linked Ca2+-indicator dyes Calcium Green or Indo-1 revealed that highly regular Ca2+ oscillations occur in these cells. We further demonstrate that artificial elevation of cytosolic Ca2+ by photolysis of caged-Ca2+ (Nitr-5) can trigger the onset of oscillations.