Anaesthetic diethyl ether impairs long-distance electrical and jasmonate signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana

General volatile anaesthetics (GVA) inhibit electrical signal propagation in animal neurons. Although plants do not have neurons, they generate and propagate electrical signals systemically from a local damaged leaf to neighbouring leaves. This systemic electrical signal propagation is mediated by ligand-gated glutamate receptor-like (GLR) channels. Here, we investigated the effect of GVA diethyl ether on the systemic electrical and further downstream responses in Arabidopsis thaliana. We monitored electrical signals, cytoplasmic Ca2+ level ([Ca2+](cyt)), ultra-weak photon emission, amino acid contents, phytohormone response as well as gene expression in response to heat wounding during diethyl ether anaesthesia. We found complete suppression of electrical and [Ca2+](cyt) signal propagation from damaged leaf to neighbouring systemic leaves upon diethyl ether treatment. Concomitantly, jasmonates (JAs) did not accumulate and expression of JA-responsive genes (AOS, OPR3, JAZ10) was not detected in systemic leaves. However local damaged leaves still showed increased [Ca2+](cyt) and accumulated high level of JAs and JA-inducible transcripts. An exogenously added GLR ligand, L-glutamate, was not able to trigger Ca2+ wave in etherized plants indicating that GLRs are targeted by diethyl ether, but not specifically. The fact that GVA inhibit electrical signal propagation not only in animals but also in plants is intriguing. However, the cellular response is completely blocked only in systemic leaves; the local damaged leaf still senses damaging stimuli.

Automated summary

The study shows that GVA diethyl ether can completely suppress the propagation of electrical signals from damaged leaves to neighboring systemic leaves in Arabidopsis thaliana, preventing the accumulation of jasmonates and JA-responsive genes in systemic leaves. However, local damaged leaves still respond to damaging stimuli, indicating that the cellular response is selectively blocked in systemic leaves.