Scientists discovered that rice root-growth proteins, long known as ethylene hormone receptors, also function as calcium ion channels — a completely unexpected dual role that helps rice fine-tune how fast its roots grow.
1
Rice ethylene receptors OsERS1 and OsERS2 physically function as calcium-permeable ion channels, not just as hormone sensors.
2
OsERS1 channel activity depends on two assembly sites (Cys4 and Cys6), which are structurally separate from the ethylene-binding site (Cys65), demonstrating the two functions are molecularly independent.
3
Loss-of-function mutants lacking OsERS1/2 fail to show the calcium-dependent antagonism of ethylene-induced root growth inhibition, confirming both receptors are required for this regulatory mechanism.
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