2016年7月11日，学术刊物自然出版集团旗下子刊《Nature Communications》杂志在线发表了*植物研究所张立新研究员发表的一篇研究论文，研究发现质体与细胞核的交流涉及了钙调节的MAPK信号通路。

质体是植物细胞*的细胞器，可以分为叶绿体、有色体和白色体。叶绿体(chloroplast)含有叶绿素，是植物进行光合作用的重要场所。叶绿体的功能特性受到细胞核基因组的严密调控。而叶绿体逆向信号可调控质体和细胞核基因的表达，帮助植物应对外界环境的改变，正确生产叶绿体并维持其功能。不过，人们对叶绿体的逆向信号传导还知之甚少。

细胞核能够感知叶绿体压力并做出相应的反应，诱导或抑制编码质体蛋白的细胞核基因。此前的研究显示，ABI4在叶绿体逆向信号通路中抑制LHCB基因。现在研究人员揭示了逆向信号通路的另一个调控机制。他们发现，MAP激酶MPK3/MPK6磷酸化并激活ABI4。而MAPK的活化涉及叶绿体钙结合蛋白CAS介导的钙瞬变。研究表明，叶绿体调节的Ca2+信号会控制MAPK通路，激活叶绿体逆向信号链中的关键组分。

原文摘要：

Chloroplast retrograde signals play important roles in coordinating the plastid and nuclear gene expression and are critical for proper chloroplast biogenesis and for maintaining optimal chloroplast functions in response to environmental changes in plants. Until now, the signals and the mechanisms for retrograde signalling remain poorly understood. Here we identify factors that allow the nucleus to perceive stress conditions in the chloroplast and to respond accordingly by inducing or repressing specific nuclear genes encoding plastid proteins. We show that ABI4, which is known to repress the LHCB genes during retrograde signalling, is activated through phosphorylation by the MAP kinases MPK3/MPK6 and the activity of these kinases is regulated through 14-3-3ω-mediated Ca2+-dependent scaffolding depending on the chloroplast calcium sensor protein CAS. These findings uncover an additional mechanism in which chloroplast-modulated Ca2+ signalling controls the MAPK pathway for the activation of critical components of the retrograde signalling chain.