Plant Electrophysiology: Early Stages of the Plant Response to Chemical Signals

Abstract

Plant defence strategies start at the plant cell plasma membrane, where volatile organic compounds (VOCs) induced by insect herbivores or plant pathogens interact chemically and trigger plant signalling molecules. The earliest plant responses for the perception of VOCs are ion flux imbalances generated in the plant cell plasma membrane at the perception zone. This different charge distribution generates variation in the plasma transmembrane potential (V-m), which is the first event preceding the regulation of signal transduction pathways and gene expression. Change in the V-m can be through either an increase (hyperpolarization) or a decrease (depolarization) in the membrane potential. Here, we review recent advances in electrophysiological methods for the study of the early events of VOC perception and the correlation between V-m depolarization and plant signal transduction pathways leading to changes in gene expression.