Annexin1-mediated calcium signalling controls plant responses to ozone

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Levels of ozone as a ground-level pollutant threaten crop and pasture productivity. European crop losses are worth several billion Euros annually. The frequency of ozone "episodes" (when local conditions promote significant ozone elevation during the growing season) is set to increase. Ozone reduces shoot (and root) growth, causes leaf loss and affects grain development. Ozone can also exacerbate the effects of drought on plants. With drought affecting large areas of the UK, how plants defend against ozone must be understood to combat this problem. Plants respond to ozone by generating an internal signal that causes changes in the genes that are expressed. It can also lead to cell death. An increase in calcium is an important component of this signal. We have discovered a mutant plant that cannot generate this calcium signal. By comparing the mutant with its non-mutated wild type, we can use the mutant as a tool with which to reveal the changes that occur in response to ozone from the genetic to whole plant level. We know the protein that is missing in the mutant and will test for its function in critical types of cell. We will also assess its importance to a plant's ability to regulate its water and gas relations and grow under ozone stress alone or combined with drought. These comparative studies will also identify genes likely to be of use in breeding programmes for ozone-resistant crops.