Abstract: Patch-clamp techniques were employed to investigate if calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) be involved in the signal transduction pathways of stomatal movement regulation by the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) in Vicia faba. Stomatal opening was completely inhibited by external application of 1 μmol/L ABA, and such ABA inhibition was significantly reversed by the addition of CDPK inhibitor trifluoper- azine (TFP). The inward whole-cell K+-currents were inhibited by 60% in the presence of 1 μmoL/L intracellular ABA, and this inhibition was completely abolished by the addition of CDPK competitive substrate histone Ⅲ-S. The results suggest that CDPKs may be involved in the signal transduction cascades of ABA-regulated stomatal movements.

Key words: Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs), K+-channels, Abscisic acid, Stomata] guard cells