Exploring the fundamental role of potassium channels in novel model plants

Potassium is an essential nutrient for plants. The uptake of K+ from the soil and its redistribution throughout the plant is accomplished by an ensemble of K+ transporters and channels. Detailed investigations on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana have found a clear picture of the basic principles of these transport processes. The knowledge gained from research on Arabidopsis, however, cannot explain all facets of K+ transport in the plant world, as Arabidopsis does not have large seeds and berries like grapes, for instance. Villette et al. (2019) now report for the Vitis K+ channel VvK5.1 an expression pattern not previously described in Arabidopsis.