Molecular mechanisms underlying plant adaptation to low potassium stress.

CBL-CIPK calcium signaling coordinates Arabidopsis low-potassium responses through sequential tonoplast CBL2/3–CIPK modules and plasma membrane CBL1/9–CIPK23 activation, linked to TORC growth control.

• Why it matters: Soil potassium is often limited and variable, so plants need molecular mechanisms to maintain K+ homeostasis and sustain growth under Low K+ stress.
• What they did: The review synthesizes advances on the two main uptake systems, Arabidopsis AKT1 and HAK5, and details how tonoplast-localized CBL2/3–CIPK precedes and enables plasma membrane CBL1/9–CIPK23, plus newly described antagonistic TORC crosstalk.
• The result: These post-translational and transcriptional regulatory insights clarify how plants sense and adapt to potassium deficiency and suggest candidate genetic targets for breeding potassium-efficient crop varieties.

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