Simultaneous imaging of ER and cytosolic Ca2+ dynamics reveals long-distance ER Ca2+ waves in plants

Calcium ions (Ca2+) play a key role in cell signaling across organisms. In plants, a plethora of environmental and developmental stimuli induce specific Ca2+ increases in the cytosol as well as in different cellular compartments including the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The ER represents an intracellular Ca2+ store that actively accumulates Ca2+ taken up from the cytosol. By exploiting state-of-the-art genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators, specifically the ER-GCaMP6-210 and R-GECO1, we report the generation and characterization of an Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) line that allows for simultaneous imaging of Ca2+ dynamics in both the ER and cytosol at different spatial scales. By performing analyses in single cells, we precisely quantified (1) the time required by the ER to import Ca2+ from the cytosol into the lumen and (2) the time required to observe a cytosolic Ca2+ increase upon the pharmacological inhibition of the ER-localized P-Type IIA Ca2+-ATPases. Furthermore, live imaging of mature, soil-grown plants revealed the existence of a wounding-induced, long-distance ER Ca2+ wave propagating in injured and systemic rosette leaves. This technology enhances high-resolution analyses of intracellular Ca2+ dynamics at the cellular level and in adult organisms and paves the way to develop new methodologies aimed at defining the contribution of subcellular compartments in Ca2+ homeostasis and signaling.

Automated summary

The study utilizes genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators to reveal details of Ca2+ dynamics in plant cells, including the processing time of Ca2+ from the cytosol to the ER and the time to observe cytosolic Ca2+ increase with ER inhibition. Live imaging of mature plants also shows a wounding-induced long-distance ER Ca2+ wave, enhancing the understanding of intracellular Ca2+ dynamics and signaling.