Molecular Evolution of Calcium Signaling and Transport in Plant Adaptation to Abiotic Stress

Adaptation to unfavorable abiotic stresses is one of the key processes in the evolution of plants. Calcium (Ca(2+)) signaling is characterized by the spatiotemporal pattern of Ca(2+) distribution and the activities of multi-domain proteins in integrating environmental stimuli and cellular responses, which are crucial early events in abiotic stress responses in plants. However, a comprehensive summary and explanation for evolutionary and functional synergies in Ca(2+) signaling remains elusive in green plants. We review mechanisms of Ca(2+) membrane transporters and intracellular Ca(2+) sensors with evolutionary imprinting and structural clues. These may provide molecular and bioinformatics insights for the functional analysis of some non-model species in the evolutionarily important green plant lineages. We summarize the chronological order, spatial location, and characteristics of Ca(2+) functional proteins. Furthermore, we highlight the integral functions of calcium-signaling components in various nodes of the Ca(2+) signaling pathway through conserved or variant evolutionary processes. These ultimately bridge the Ca(2+) cascade reactions into regulatory networks, particularly in the hormonal signaling pathways. In summary, this review provides new perspectives towards a better understanding of the evolution, interaction and integration of Ca(2+) signaling components in green plants, which is likely to benefit future research in agriculture, evolutionary biology, ecology and the environment.