A plastid protein crucial for Ca2+-regulated stomatal responses

Guard cell movements are regulated by environmental cues including, for example, elevations in extracellular Ca2+ concentration. Here, the subcellular localization and physiological function of the Ca2+-sensing receptor (CAS) protein was investigated. CAS protein localization was ascertained by microscopic analyses of green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion proteins and biochemical fractionation assays. Comparative guard cell movement investigations were performed in wild-type and cas loss-of-function mutant lines of Arabidopsis thaliana. Cytoplasmic Ca2+ dynamics were addressed in plants expressing the yellow cameleon reporter protein YC3.6. This study identified CAS as a chloroplast-localized protein that is crucial for proper stomatal regulation in response to elevations of external Ca2+. CAS fulfils this role through modulation of the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration. This work reveals a novel role of the chloroplast in cellular Ca2+ signal transduction.