背景回顾：Some of the most spectacular examples of botanical carnivory—in which predator plants catch and digest animals presumably to supplement the nutrient-poor soils in which they grow—occur within the Droseraceae family. For example, sundews of the genus Drosera have evolved leaf movements and enzyme secretion to facilitate prey digestion. 

提出问题：The molecular underpinnings of this behavior remain largely unknown; however, evidence suggests that prey-induced electrical impulses are correlated with movement and production of the defense hormone jasmonic acid (JA), which may alter gene expression. In noncarnivorous plants, JA is linked to electrical activity via changes in cytoplasmic Ca²⁺. 

结果1-猎物刺激导致钙离子波动：Here, we find that dynamic Ca²⁺ changes also occur in sundew (Drosera spatulata) leaves responding to prey-associated mechanical and chemical stimuli. 

结果2-抑制钙离子波动会抑制叶片运动：Furthermore, inhibition of these Ca²⁺ changes reduced expression of JA target genes and leaf movements following chemical feeding.  

结论：Our results are consistent with the presence of a conserved Ca²⁺-dependent JA signaling pathway in the sundew feeding response and provide further credence to the defensive origin of plant carnivory.

 摘 要 

食肉植物是指那些能够捕捉并消化动物，用以弥补其生长土壤贫瘠所导致的营养缺乏，这一类植物多见于茅膏菜科植物物种中。例如，茅膏菜属的茅膏菜演化出了叶片运动和酶分泌，以促进猎物的消化。然而，目前对于这种行为的分子基础在很大程度上仍是不清楚的；但是，有证据表明，猎物诱导的电脉冲与防御激素茉莉酸（JA）的转运及产生有关，这可能会引起基因表达的改变。在非食肉植物中，JA通过细胞质钙离子的变化参与植物的电活动。本文中，作者发现在响应猎物相关的机械和化学刺激时，茅膏菜（Drosera spatulata）的叶片也会发生动态的钙离子含量波动。此外，抑制这些钙离子波动会降低化学取食后JA靶基因的表达和叶片的运动。本文的研究结果与茅膏菜取食响应中存在保守的钙离子依赖性JA信号转导一致，为植物食肉性状的防御起源提供了进一步的证据。

 Joanne Chory