New Insights into Plant TPK Ion Channel Evolution

Potassium (K) is a crucial element of plant nutrition, involved in many physiological and molecular processes. K(+) membrane transporters are playing a pivotal role in K(+) transport and tissue distribution as well as in various plant stress responses and developmental processes. Two-pore K(+)-channels (TPKs) are essential to maintain plant K(+) homeostasis and are mainly involved in potassium transport from the vacuoles to the cytosol. Besides vacuolar specialization, some TPK members display different membrane localization including plasma membrane, protein storage vacuole membrane, and probably the organelles. In this manuscript, we elucidate the evolution of the voltage-independent TPK (two-pore K(+)-channels) family, which could be represented in some species by one pore, K(+)-inward rectifier (Kir)-like channels. A comprehensive investigation of existing databases and application of modern bioinformatic tools allowed us to make a detailed phylogenetic inventory of TPK/KCO3 (KCO: potassium channel, outward rectifying) channels through many taxa and gain insight into the evolutionary origin of TPK family proteins. Our results reveal the fundamental evolutional difference between the first and second pores, traced throughout multiple taxa variations in the ion selection filter motif, presence of thansposon, and methylation site in the proximity of some KCO members and suggest virus-mediated horizontal transfer of a KCO3-like ancestor by viruses. Additionally, we suggest several interconnected hypotheses to explain the obtained results and provide a theoretical background for future experimental validation.