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

Trends in plant science 2021 Jan

filter terms:

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 (Kout) 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. Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Citation

Ingo Dreyer, Frances C Sussmilch, Kenji Fukushima, Gonzalo Riadi, Dirk Becker, Jörg Schultz, Rainer Hedrich. How to Grow a Tree: Plant Voltage-Dependent Cation Channels in the Spotlight of Evolution. Trends in plant science. 2021 Jan;26(1):41-52