Light-induced cytosolic calcium transients in green plant cells. ll. The effect on a K+ channel as studied by a kinetic analysis in Chara corallina

The fluorescent dye chlorotetracycline was used to study the relationship between the light-induced decrease in cytosolic free calcium concentration, Ca²⁺]_c, and its effect on ion transport at the plasma membrane in the giant cells of Chara corallina Klein ex Willd. A kinetic analysis of the simultaneously measured light-induced changes in membrane potential and in Ca²⁺]_c led to the same time constant of about 40 s. The reversal potential of the light effect on membrane potential was in agreement with the dominant role of a K⁺ channel in the plasma membrane. Thus, the experiments reported here provide evidence for the following light-driven signal transduction chain from the chloroplasts to K⁺ transport of the plasma membrane: (i) light causes an uptake of Ca²⁺ into the chloroplasts, (ii) this causes a decrease in cytosolic Ca²⁺]_c, (iii) this leads to a decrease in the activity of a K⁺ channel. The results also initiated a re-analysis of previously published data of the light effect on the velocity of cytosolic streaming and supported the hypothesis that Ca²⁺ fluxes coming out of the chloroplasts upon darkening cause a Ca²⁺-induced phosphorylation of myosin, which slows down cytoplasmic streaming. Received: 3 May 1997 / Accepted: 19 May 1998