ER-Located Ca2+ ATPase ACA2 Regulates Cytoplasmic Ca2+ Pool Linked to Root Hair Growth in Arabidopsis Thaliana

    July 2026 in “ bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) ”
    Mariana Carignani Sardoy, Vinícius Cabral, Julián García Bossi, Stefano Buratti, Alessia Candeo, Giorgia Tortora, Paulina Ramirez Miranda, Cecilia Borassi, Victoria Berdion Gabarain, Javier Martinez Pacheco, Diana Rodriguez Garcia, Cristina Marino Buslje, Jorge Muschietti, Andrea Bassi, Elke Barbez, Arthur Fernandes Stradiotto Marcusse, Maria Teresa Portes, Daniel S. C. Damineli, Hugo Verli, Alex Costa, José M. Estevez
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    TLDR ACA2 is crucial for root hair growth by controlling calcium levels in cells.
    The study investigates the role of ER-localized Ca2+ ATPase ACA2 in regulating cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels crucial for root hair (RH) growth in Arabidopsis thaliana. It was found that ACA2, and to a lesser extent ACA7, are essential for controlling RH growth by maintaining proper Ca2+ dynamics. In the aca2-2 mutant, a lower cytosolic Ca2+ concentration and altered Ca2+ oscillation patterns were observed, leading to impaired RH growth. The mutation in ACA2 resulted in longer and more regular high-frequency oscillations and slower low-frequency oscillations. Additionally, a modified ACA2 lacking four putative Ca2+ binding residues could not restore normal RH growth in the mutant. These findings suggest that ACA2 is vital for modulating cytoplasmic Ca2+ signals, forming part of a negative feedback loop necessary for RH cell elongation.
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