Cytosolic calcium mediates diverse cellular processes in both animal and plant cells, including muscle contraction, fertilization, cell division, neural processes, metabolism, cell movement, and gene expression. Therefore, proper control of cytosolic Ca2+ is of prime importance. The orchestrated regulation of cytosolic Ca2+ often occurs as repetitive Ca2+ transients or oscillations. In stomatal guard cells, cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations regulate the size of stomatal pores. Such pores play an essential role for plant growth and survival because plants obtain CO2 for photosynthesis through them. Moreover, plants lose more than 95% of water through stomatal pores. In this project, using guard cells of thale cress, we will investigate how cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations specifically control gene expression to regulate stomatal pore size. Discoveries that come from the research will provide new insights into the role of cytosolic Ca2+, which, in addition to its importance in fundamental plant biology, could contribute to the research efforts of understanding the pathogenesis of diseases due to dysregulation of cytosolic Ca2+, and contribute to development of plants with enhanced drought tolerance. The project will provide research training for one postdoctoral fellow and a graduate student. It will also give two or more undergraduate students the opportunity to experience scientific research.
