User:Leiho.Bob/Arabidopsis thaliana chloride channels

Plant chloride channels

Chloride channels (CLC) in plants are proteins located in the membranes of different organelles and some members of the family have higher affinity for other anions than chloride.

Members of the CLC family are identified by sequence homology. Little is known about plant CLCs and the best studied protein is AtCLCa from Arabidopsis thaliana. There are at least two different sub families in Arabidopsis, covering seven different chloride channels (AtCLCa-g). Also in other plant species were chloride channels found and examined.

Evolution of chloride channels in plants
Comparing the sequences of CLCs from different plant species with human and prokaryotic CLCs led to the formation of two subclasses in the plant CLC family. This suggests that two distinct genes evolved into the different CLCs.

Arabidopsis thaliana
Seven chloride channels are identified in Arabidopsis, AtCLCa - AtCLCg.

Soybean
GmCLC1 was the first chloride channel identified in soybean (Glycine max L.). The protein is located in the tonoplat and transports chloride into the vacuole. The protein has 79 % sequence homology with AtCLCa.

Rice
Five CLCs are found in rice (Oryza sativa L.), OsCLC1-5.

Tobacco
The tobacco CLC-Nt1 is localized to the inner membrane of mitochondria.