Skip to main content
Plant Physiology logoLink to Plant Physiology
. 1989 Nov;91(3):795–799. doi: 10.1104/pp.91.3.795

Sensory Transduction and Electrical Signaling in Guard Cells

Elba E Serrano 1,2, Eduardo Zeiger 1,2,1
PMCID: PMC1062076  PMID: 16667138

Abstract

Guard cells are a valuable model system for the study of photoreception, ion transport, and osmoregulation in plant cells. Changes in stomatal apertures occur when sensing mechanisms within the guard cells transduce environmental stimull into the ion fluxes and biosynthesis of organic solutes that regulate turgor. The electrical events mediating sensory transduction in guard cells can be characterized with a variety of electrophysiological recording techniques. Recent experiments applying the patch clamp method to guard cell protoplasts have demonstrated activation of electrogenic pumps by blue and red light as well as the presence of potassium channels in guard cell plasmalemma. Light activation of electrogenic proton pumping and the ensuing gating of voltage-dependent ion channels appear to be components of sensory transduction of the stomatal response to light. Mechanisms underlying stomatal control by environmental signals can be understood by studying electrical events associated with ion transport.

Full text

PDF
795

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Schauf C. L., Wilson K. J. Effects of abscisic acid on K+ channels in Vicia faba guard cell protoplasts. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1987 May 29;145(1):284–290. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(87)91318-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Schroeder J. I. K+ transport properties of K+ channels in the plasma membrane of Vicia faba guard cells. J Gen Physiol. 1988 Nov;92(5):667–683. doi: 10.1085/jgp.92.5.667. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Schroeder J. I., Raschke K., Neher E. Voltage dependence of K channels in guard-cell protoplasts. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 Jun;84(12):4108–4112. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.12.4108. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Schwartz A. Role of Ca and EGTA on Stomatal Movements in Commelina communis L. Plant Physiol. 1985 Dec;79(4):1003–1005. doi: 10.1104/pp.79.4.1003. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Serrano E. E., Zeiger E., Hagiwara S. Red light stimulates an electrogenic proton pump in Vicia guard cell protoplasts. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Jan;85(2):436–440. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.2.436. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Plant Physiology are provided here courtesy of Oxford University Press

RESOURCES