Calcium Signaling in Plant Programmed Cell Death

Programmed cell death (PCD) is a process intended for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis by eliminating old, damaged, or unwanted cells. In plants, PCD takes place during developmental processes and in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. In contrast to the field of animal studies, PCD is not well understood in plants. Calcium (Ca(2+)) is a universal cell signaling entity and regulates numerous physiological activities across all the kingdoms of life. The cytosolic increase in Ca(2+) is a prerequisite for the induction of PCD in plants. Although over the past years, we have witnessed significant progress in understanding the role of Ca(2+) in the regulation of PCD, it is still unclear how the upstream stress perception leads to the Ca(2+) elevation and how the signal is further propagated to result in the onset of PCD. In this review article, we discuss recent advancements in the field, and compare the role of Ca(2+) signaling in PCD in biotic and abiotic stresses. Moreover, we discuss the upstream and downstream components of Ca(2+) signaling and its crosstalk with other signaling pathways in PCD. The review is expected to provide new insights into the role of Ca(2+) signaling in PCD and to identify gaps for future research efforts.