Calcium elevation-dependent and attenuated resting calcium-dependent abscisic acid induction of stomatal closure and abscisic acid-induced enhancement of calcium sensitivities of S-type anion and inward-rectifying K+ channels in Arabidopsis guard cells

P>Stomatal closure in response to abscisic acid depends on mechanisms that are mediated by intracellular [Ca2+] ([Ca2+](i)), and also on mechanisms that are independent of [Ca2+](i) in guard cells. In this study, we addressed three important questions with respect to these two predicted pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana. (i) How large is the relative abscisic acid (ABA)-induced stomatal closure response in the [Ca2+](i)-elevation-independent pathway? (ii) How do ABA-insensitive mutants affect the [Ca2+](i)-elevation-independent pathway? (iii) Does ABA enhance (prime) the Ca2+ sensitivity of anion and inward-rectifying K+ channel regulation? We monitored stomatal responses to ABA while experimentally inhibiting [Ca2+](i) elevations and clamping [Ca2+](i) to resting levels. The absence of [Ca2+](i) elevations was confirmed by ratiometric [Ca2+](i) imaging experiments. ABA-induced stomatal closure in the absence of [Ca2+](i) elevations above the physiological resting [Ca2+](i) showed only approximately 30% of the normal stomatal closure response, and was greatly slowed compared to the response in the presence of [Ca2+](i) elevations. The ABA-insensitive mutants ost1-2, abi2-1 and gca2 showed partial stomatal closure responses that correlate with [Ca2+](i)-dependent ABA signaling. Interestingly, patch-clamp experiments showed that exposure of guard cells to ABA greatly enhances the ability of cytosolic Ca2+ to activate S-type anion channels and down-regulate inward-rectifying K+ channels, providing strong evidence for a Ca2+ sensitivity priming hypothesis. The present study demonstrates and quantifies an attenuated and slowed ABA response when [Ca2+](i) elevations are directly inhibited in guard cells. A minimal model is discussed, in which ABA enhances (primes) the [Ca2+](i) sensitivity of stomatal closure mechanisms.