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Plant two-component systems: principles, functions, complexity and cross talk

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Abstract

Two-component systems have emerged as important sensing/response mechanisms in higher plants. They are composed of hybrid histidine kinases, histidine-containing phosphotransfer domain proteins and response regulators that are biochemically linked by His-to-Asp phosphorelay. In plants two-component systems play a major role in cytokinin perception and signalling and contribute to ethylene signal transduction and osmosensing. Furthermore, developmental processes like megagametogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana and flowering promotion in rice (Oryza sativa) involve elements of two-component systems. Two-component-like elements also function as components of the Arabidopsis circadian clock. Because of the molecular mode of signalling, plant two-component systems also appear to serve as intensive cross talk and signal integration machinery. In this review we summarize the present knowledge about the principles and functions of two-component systems in higher plants and address several critical points with respect to cross talk, signal integration and specificity.

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Fig. 1a, b
Fig. 2a–d
Fig. 3

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Abbreviations

AHK :

Arabidopsis histidine kinase

AHP :

Arabidopsis histidine-containing phosphotransfer domain protein

APRR :

Arabidopsis pseudo response regulator

ARR :

Arabidopsis response regulator

CCT :

CONSTANS CONSTANS-like TOC1

CKI :

Cytokinin insensitive

CRE :

Cytokinin response

CTR :

Constitutive triple response

Ehd :

Early heading date

EIN :

Ethylene insensitive

ERS :

Ethylene response sensor

ETR :

Ethylene resistant

GARP-motif :

Found in Golden2 of maize, Arabidopsis B-type response regulators and Chlamydomonas Psr1

HPt :

Histidine-containing phosphotransfer domain

NLS :

Nuclear localization signal

phyB :

Phytochrome B

TCS :

Two-component signalling

TOC :

Timing of CAB (chlorophyll a/b-binding protein) expression

WOL :

Wooden leg

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Acknowledgements

Because of space limitation, we would like to apologize for not citing the papers of all people working in the area of plant two-component systems. Our research in this area is supported by a DFG/AFGN grant to K.H.

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  1. Botanisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Gyrhofstr. 15, 50931, Köln, Germany

    Christopher Grefen & Klaus Harter

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  1. Christopher Grefen
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  2. Klaus Harter
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Correspondence to Klaus Harter.

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Grefen, C., Harter, K. Plant two-component systems: principles, functions, complexity and cross talk. Planta 219, 733–742 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-004-1316-4

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