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Review

Plant HKT Channels: An Updated View on Structure, Function and Gene Regulation

by
Janin Riedelsberger
1,*,†,
Julia K. Miller
2,†,
Braulio Valdebenito-Maturana
1,
Miguel A. Piñeros
2,3,
Wendy González
1,4 and
Ingo Dreyer
1
1
Centro de Bioinformática, Simulación y Modelado (CBSM), Facultad de Ingeniería, Campus Talca, Universidad de Talca, 1 Poniente No. 1141, Casilla 721, 3460000 Talca, Chile
2
Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
3
Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, USDA-ARS, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
4
Millennium Nucleus of Ion Channels-Associated Diseases (MiNICAD), Universidad de Talca, 3460000 Talca, Chile
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(4), 1892; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22041892
Submission received: 29 January 2021 / Revised: 29 January 2021 / Accepted: 9 February 2021 / Published: 14 February 2021
(This article belongs to the Section Molecular Plant Sciences)

Abstract

HKT channels are a plant protein family involved in sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) uptake and Na+-K+ homeostasis. Some HKTs underlie salt tolerance responses in plants, while others provide a mechanism to cope with short-term K+ shortage by allowing increased Na+ uptake under K+ starvation conditions. HKT channels present a functionally versatile family divided into two classes, mainly based on a sequence polymorphism found in the sequences underlying the selectivity filter of the first pore loop. Physiologically, most class I members function as sodium uniporters, and class II members as Na+/K+ symporters. Nevertheless, even within these two classes, there is a high functional diversity that, to date, cannot be explained at the molecular level. The high complexity is also reflected at the regulatory level. HKT expression is modulated at the level of transcription, translation, and functionality of the protein. Here, we summarize and discuss the structure and conservation of the HKT channel family from algae to angiosperms. We also outline the latest findings on gene expression and the regulation of HKT channels.
Keywords: HKT channels; sodium transport; potassium transport; selectivity filter; gene regulation HKT channels; sodium transport; potassium transport; selectivity filter; gene regulation
Graphical Abstract

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MDPI and ACS Style

Riedelsberger, J.; Miller, J.K.; Valdebenito-Maturana, B.; Piñeros, M.A.; González, W.; Dreyer, I. Plant HKT Channels: An Updated View on Structure, Function and Gene Regulation. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22, 1892. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22041892

AMA Style

Riedelsberger J, Miller JK, Valdebenito-Maturana B, Piñeros MA, González W, Dreyer I. Plant HKT Channels: An Updated View on Structure, Function and Gene Regulation. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2021; 22(4):1892. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22041892

Chicago/Turabian Style

Riedelsberger, Janin, Julia K. Miller, Braulio Valdebenito-Maturana, Miguel A. Piñeros, Wendy González, and Ingo Dreyer. 2021. "Plant HKT Channels: An Updated View on Structure, Function and Gene Regulation" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22, no. 4: 1892. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22041892

APA Style

Riedelsberger, J., Miller, J. K., Valdebenito-Maturana, B., Piñeros, M. A., González, W., & Dreyer, I. (2021). Plant HKT Channels: An Updated View on Structure, Function and Gene Regulation. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(4), 1892. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22041892

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