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The Arabidopsis thaliana Glutamate-like Receptor Family (AtGLR)

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Communication in Plants

Abstract

The 20 genes that encode the Arabidopsis thaliana glutamate-like receptor family (AtGLR) share significant similarity in amino acid coding sequence and predicted secondary structure with animal ionotropic glutamate receptor (iGluR) subunits. In animals, iGluR subunits form glutamate-gated non-selective cation channels (NSCCs) catalysing Na+ and/or Ca2+ influx into cells; in one iGluR subfamily glycine also is required as a coagonist. In Arabidopsis, both glutamate and glycine have been demonstrated to depolarise the plasma membrane and increase [Ca2+]cyt, and iGluR antagonists blocked these effects. AtGLRs are therefore predicted to function in an analogous manner to iGluR. Attempts to functionally characterise AtGLRs in heterologous expression systems have proved inconclusive with no ligand-gated activity detected. Research into the glutamate receptor-like family has been hindered by the lack of phenotypes associated with the AtGLR genes but several phenotypes associated with AtGLR overexpression and knockout have recently given hints as to their function. AtGLR have been implicated in light and C:N signalling, hypocotyl detiolation, root growth, abscisic acid (ABA) metabolism, stress responses, and general ion transport. This review will concentrate on recent developments in the AtGLR field, including the roles and effects of glutamate and glycine and related metabolites in plant physiology relative to potential roles for AtGLRs. It will examine progress made toward defining the functions of particular AtGLRs and will conclude by recommending potentially fruitful avenues of future research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Sciences, Stress Physiology Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK

    Matthew Gilliham

  2. Department of Botany, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5S 3B2

    Malcolm Campbell & Christian Dubos

  3. Julius von Sachs Institute for Biosciences, University of Würzburg, 97082, Würzburg, Germany

    Dirk Becker

  4. Stress Physiology Laboratory, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK

    Romola Davenport

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  1. Matthew Gilliham
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  2. Malcolm Campbell
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  3. Christian Dubos
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  4. Dirk Becker
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  5. Romola Davenport
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Cellular and Molecular Botany, University of Bonn, Kirschallee 1, 53115, Bonn, Germany

    František Baluška  & Dieter Volkmann  & 

  2. Department of Horticulture Electrophysiology Laboratory, University of Florence, Viale delle Idee 30, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy

    Stefano Mancuso

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Gilliham, M., Campbell, M., Dubos, C., Becker, D., Davenport, R. (2006). The Arabidopsis thaliana Glutamate-like Receptor Family (AtGLR). In: Baluška, F., Mancuso, S., Volkmann, D. (eds) Communication in Plants. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-28516-8_13

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