Plant-specific calmodulin-binding proteins.

Calmodulin CaM is the most prominent Ca2+ transducer in eukaryotic cells, regulating the activity of numerous proteins with diverse cellular functions. Many features of CaM and its downstream targets are similar in plants and other eukaryotes. However, plants possess a unique set of CaM-related proteins, and several unique CaM target proteins. This review discusses recent progress in identifying plant-specific CaM-binding proteins and their roles in response to biotic and abiotic stresses and development. The review also addresses aspects emerging from recent structural studies of CaM interactions with target proteins relevant to plants.