Osmotic stress alters circadian cytosolic Ca²⁺ oscillations and OSCA1 is required in circadian gated stress adaptation.

The circadian clock is a universal timing system that involved in plant physical responses to abiotic stresses. Moreover, OSCA1 is an osmosensor responsible for [Ca²⁺]_i increases induced by osmotic stress in plants. However, there is little information on osmosensor involved osmotic stress-triggered circadian clock responses. Using an aequorin-based Ca²⁺ imaging assay, we found the gradient (0 mM, 200 mM, 500 mM) osmotic stress (induced by sorbitol) both altered the primary circadian parameter of WT and osca1 mutant. This means the plant switch to a fast day/night model to avoid energy consumption. In contrast, the period of WT and osca1 mutant became short since the sorbitol concentration increased from 0 mM to 500 mM. As the sorbitol concentration increased, the phase of the WT becomes more extensive compared with osca1 mutant, which means WT is more capable of coping with the environmental change. Moreover, the amplitude of WT also becomes broader than osca1 mutant, especially in high (500 mM) sorbitol concentration, indicate the WT shows more responses in high osmotic stress. In a word, the WT has much more flexibility to cope with the osmotic stress than osca1 mutant. It implies the OSCA1 might be involved in the circadian gated plant adaptation to the environmental osmotic stress, which opens an avenue to study Ca²⁺ processes with other circadian signaling pathways.

Duke Scholars

Author Zhen-Ming Pei Biology