How to Grow a Tree: Plant Voltage-Dependent Cation Channels in the Spotlight of Evolution.

Ingo Dreyer, Frances C Sussmilch, Kenji Fukushima, Gonzalo Riadi, Dirk Becker, Jörg Schultz, Rainer Hedrich

Journal: Trends in plant science 2021;26(1):41-52

PMID: 32868178

Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

Phylogenetic analysis can be a powerful tool for generating hypotheses regarding the evolution of physiological processes. Here, we provide an updated view of the evolution of the main cation channels in plant electrical signalling: the Shaker family of voltage-gated potassium channels and the two-pore cation (K) channel (TPC1) family. Strikingly, the TPC1 family followed the same conservative evolutionary path as one particular subfamily of Shaker channels (K) and remained highly invariant after terrestrialisation, suggesting that electrical signalling was, and remains, key to survival on land. We note that phylogenetic analyses can have pitfalls, which may lead to erroneous conclusions. To avoid these in the future, we suggest guidelines for analyses of ion channel evolution in plants.

Address: Center for Bioinformatics, Simulation and Modeling (CBSM), Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de Talca, 2 Norte 685, Talca, Chile. Electronic address: [email protected].; Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany; School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia.; Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany.; Center for Bioinformatics, Simulation and Modeling (CBSM), Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de Talca, 2 Norte 685, Talca, Chile.; Department of Bioinformatics, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany.; Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany. Electronic address: [email protected].

DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2020.07.011

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MeSH Terms: Cations, Phylogeny, Plants