Potassium regulates a plethora of metabolic and developmental response in plants, and upon exposure to biotic and abiotic stresses a substantial K⁺ loss occurs from plant cells. The outward-rectifying potassium efflux GORK channels are central to this stress-induced K⁺ loss from the cytosol. In the mammalian systems, signaling molecules such as gamma-aminobutyric acid, G-proteins, ATP, inositol, and protein phosphatases were shown to operate as ligands controlling many K⁺ efflux channels. Here we present the evidence that the same molecules may also regulate GORK channels in plants. This mechanism enables operation of the GORK channels as a master switch of the cell metabolism, thus adjusting intracellular K⁺ homeostasis to altered environmental conditions, to maximize plant adaptive potential.

钾调节植物中过多的代谢和发育反应，并且在暴露于生物和非生物胁迫时，植物细胞会发生大量的K ⁺损失。向外整流的钾外流GORK通道是这种压力诱导的K ⁺从细胞质流失的中心。在哺乳动物系统中，信号分子（例如，γ-氨基丁酸，G蛋白，ATP，肌醇和蛋白质磷酸酶）表现为可控制许多K ⁺外排通道的配体。在这里，我们提供证据证明相同的分子也可能调节植物中的GORK通道。这种机制使GORK通道可以作为细胞代谢的主要开关，从而调节细胞内K ⁺ 稳态以改变环境条件，以最大程度地发挥植物的适应潜力。