Professor Qiu Quansheng, member of Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations in School of Life Sciences at Lanzhou University, published a research paper entitled “K+ efflux antiporters 4, 5 and 6 mediate pH and K+ homeostasis in endomembrane compartments” in Plant Physiology.

KEA4, KEA5 and KEA6 are members of the KEA family in Arabidopsis thaliana. They have high sequence similarity, but their functions are still unclear. Professor Qiu Quansheng's team analyzed gene expression patterns, subcellular localization and physiological functions of KEA4, KEA5 and KEA6. KEA4, KEA5 and KEA6 have similar tissue expression patterns. They are localized in Golgi, trans-Golgi network (TGN) and vacuole precursor (PVC)/polyvacuole (MVB). The triple mutant kea4 kea5 kea6 is sensitive to low potassium and high salt stress. The pH in Golgi, TGN, PVC and vacuoles of kea4 kea5 kea6 mutants decreased. Genetic analysis showed that KEA4/5/6 and NHX5/6 had synergistic effects on maintaining the homeostasis of pH and salt tolerance in the endomembrane system. These results suggest that KEA4, KEA5 and KEA6 are K + transporters in the endomembrane, and they play an important role in maintaining the pH and ion homeostasis of the endomembrane system.

Professor Qiu Quansheng's team is focused on the studies of Na+, K+/H+ anti-transporters in plants. Their studies have been published in well-known international journals such as Plant Physiology and Plant, Cell & Environment.