Ion homeostasis is essential for plant growth and environmental adaptation, and maintaining ion homeostasis requires the precise regulation of various ion transporters, as well as correct root patterning. However, the mechanisms underlying these processes remain largely elusive. Here, we reported that a choline transporter gene, CTL1, controls ionome homeostasis by regulating the secretory trafficking of proteins required for plasmodesmata (PD) development, as well as the transport of some ion transporters. Map-based cloning studies revealed that CTL1 mutations alter the ion profile of Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that the phenotypes associated with these mutations are caused by a combination of PD defects and ion transporter misregulation. We also established that CTL1 is involved in regulating vesicle trafficking and is thus required for the trafficking of proteins essential for ion transport and PD development. Characterizing choline transporter-like 1 (CTL1) as a new regulator of protein sorting may enable researchers to understand not only ion homeostasis in plants but also vesicle trafficking in general.

离子稳态对植物生长和环境适应至关重要，维持离子稳态需要对各种离子转运蛋白进行精确调节，并需要正确的根系构图。但是，这些过程的基础机制仍然难以捉摸。在这里，我们报道了一个胆碱转运蛋白基因CTL1，通过调节质膜（PD）发育所需的蛋白质的分泌性运输以及某些离子转运蛋白的运输来控制离子稳态。基于图谱的克隆研究表明，CTL1突变改变了拟南芥的离子谱。我们发现与这些突变相关的表型是由PD缺陷和离子转运蛋白调节异常的组合引起的。我们还确定，CTL1参与调节小泡运输，因此是离子运输和PD发育必不可少的蛋白质运输所必需的。将胆碱转运蛋白样1（CTL1）表征为一种新的蛋白质分选调节剂，可能使研究人员不仅能够了解植物中的离子稳态，而且还能了解一般的囊泡运输。