Signaling throughout the plant body

What is it about?

When a plant senses something is altered in the environment, or when something damages or stresses it, it generates signals that move through the plant body similar to how the nervous system communicates between different parts of an animal. This review looks at how three cellular regulators (calcium ions, electrical signals and reactive oxygen species) play roles in this long range rapid communication network of the plant.

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Why is it important?

Researchers have known for many years that plants generate rapid internal signals that help different parts of the organism communicate with each other. Recently, rapid waves of chemical changes have been defined and new players in the machinery that supports this signaling network have been identified. This review highlights some of these new components and asks how they might act together to propagate signals within the plant.