Visualizing calcium-dependent signaling networks in plants

Abstract

Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are a multigene protein kinase family that have key regulatory roles in plants. However, imaging CDPK signals in plant cells remains challenging. The recently developed genetically encoded CDPK-Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) reporter developed by Liese et al. allows visualization of calcium (Ca²⁺)-dependent conformational changes during activation or inactivation of CDPKs, providing a powerful tool for real-time monitoring of calcium decoding in plants.