Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus 1 (PBCV-1) is the prototype of a family of large, double-stranded DNA, plaque-forming viruses that infect certain eukaryotic chlorella-like green algae from the genus Chlorovirus. PBCV-1 infection results in rapid host membrane depolarization and potassium ion release. One interesting feature of certain chloroviruses is that they code for functional potassium...

Glutamate transporters are essential for terminating synaptic excitation and for maintaining extracellular glutamate concentrations below neurotoxic levels. These transporters also mediate a thermodynamically uncoupled chloride flux that is activated by two of the molecules that they transport - sodium and glutamate. Five eukaryotic glutamate transporters have been cloned and identified. They e...

Among abiotic stresses, salinity has been increasing over the time for many reasons like using chemical fertilizers, global warming and rising sea levels. Under salinity stress, the loss of water availability, toxicity of Na+ and ion imbalance directly reduces carbon fixation and biomass production in plants. K+ is a major agent that can counteract Na+ stresses, thus the potential of plants to ...

Radiocesium accumulated in the soil by nuclear accidents is a major environmental concern. The transport process of cesium (Cs+) tightly linked to indispensable plant nutrient potassium (K+) as they both belong group I alkali metals with similar chemical properties. Most transporters that had been characterized date Cs+ are directly or indirectly K+. Using combinatorial approach physiology, gen...

Finger millet is a nutri-rich cereal crop of poor people living in the developing countries Asia and Africa. grains contain high amounts potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, manganese, copper, zinc, iron. Its calcium content 10-fold higher than all other cereals even three times milk. seeds are also rich cystine, methionine, tryptophan, total aromatic amino acids as compared to cereals. G...

Regulation of K /Na homeostasis is an important mechanism in plant growth. The high-affinity K uptake system plays a central role in this mechanism especially when plants experience environmental stresses of K starvation and high salinity. K channels and the K /Na co-transporter like HKT have been closely studied as principal members of the K transport system in plants. The KT/HAK/KUP family is...

Excitability is an attribute of life, and is a driving force in the descent of complexity. Cellular electrical activity as realized by membrane proteins that act as either channels or transporters is the basis of excitability. Electrical signaling is mediated by a wave of action potentials, which consist of synchronous redistribution of ionic gradients down ion channels. Ion channels select for...

Voltage gated Potassium channels has long been recognized as important for function of excitable cell such as electrical signalling in the brain and rhythmic beating of the heart. These cells generate action potentials, which require voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels for the depolarization phase (upstroke) and voltage-gated potassium (KV) channels for the repolarization phase (downstroke). Re...

Potassium (K+) is one of the most important macronutrients for plant growth and development. It generally accepted that KUP/HAK/KT transporters play essential roles in K+ uptake at low concentrations. However, their physiological functions bananas remain unknown. Here, we cloned MaHAK5 analyzed its banana (Musa acuminata). Gene expression analysis showed was upregulated roots leaves early stage...