CALCIUM IN PLANT BIOLOGY: NUTRIENT AND SECOND MESSENGER

Abstract

Calcium (Ca ) is an essential element required for growth and development of plants both under stressed and non-stressed situations. It not only maintains the integrity of cell wall and membrane, but also serves as a second messenger in many developmental and physiological 2+ processes thereby inducing Ca influx into cytosol, which decodes into downstream responses like 2+ defense against various environmental cues. Therefore, maintenance of intracellular Ca 2+ 2+ homeostasis is essential for Ca signalling. In this review, the current knowledge about the Ca uptake, transport and signal transduction in different physiological aspects with respect to plant nutrient status will be discussed.