Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Scientific Correspondence
  • Published:

Glutamate-receptor genes in plants

Nature volume 396, pages 125–126 (1998)Cite this article

Abstract

In animal brains, ionotropic glutamate receptors (GluRs) function as glutamate-activated ion channels in rapid synaptic transmission. We have now discovered that genes encoding putative ionotropic GluRs exist in plants, and we present preliminary evidence for their involvement in light-signal transduction. It may be that signalling between cells by excitatory amino acids in animal brains evolved from a primitive signalling mechanism that existed before the divergence of plants and animals. Our findings also help to explain why neuroactive compounds made by plants work on receptors in human brains.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Arabidopsis GLR cDNAs encode proteins with sequence identity to animal ionotropic glutamate receptors.
Figure 2: Effects of ionotropic GluR antagonist DNQX on Arabidopsis seedlings.

References

  1. Nakanishi, N., Schneider, N. A. & Axel, R. Neuron 5, 569–581 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Hofmann, K. & Stoffel, W. Biol. Chem. Hoppe-Seyler 374, 166 (1993).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Nakai, K. & Kanehisa, M. Genomics 14, 897–911 (1992).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Barinaga, M. Science 267, 177–178 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Koornneef, M., Rolff, E. & Spruit, C. J. P. Z. Pflanzenphysiol. 100, 147–160 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Goto, N., Yamamoto, K. T. & Watanabe, M. Photochem. Photobiol. 57, 867–871 (1993).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Neurotoxins (eds Adams, M. & Swanson, G.) Trends Neurosci. (suppl.) 20-22 (1996).

  8. Thompson, J., Higgins, D. G. & Gibson, T. J. Nucleic Acids Res. 22, 4673–4680 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong

    Hon-Ming Lam

  2. Department of Biology, New York University, 1009 Main Building, 100 Washington Square East, New York, 10003, New York, USA

    Joanna Chiu, Ming-Hsiun Hsieh, Lee Meisel, Igor C. Oliveira, Michael Shin & Gloria Coruzzi

Authors
  1. Hon-Ming Lam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Joanna Chiu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ming-Hsiun Hsieh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Lee Meisel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Igor C. Oliveira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Michael Shin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Gloria Coruzzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lam, HM., Chiu, J., Hsieh, MH. et al. Glutamate-receptor genes in plants. Nature 396, 125–126 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/24066

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/24066

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing