Arabidopsis H + -ATPase AHA1 controls slow wave potential duration and wound-response jasmonate pathway activation

Significance Phosphorylation (P)-type ATPases act to maintain and modulate charge distribution across membranes and these proteins have been coopted for electrical signaling in animals. When wounded, membranes in the leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana depolarize rapidly. This is followed by a slower repolarization phase. We found that the proton pump AHA1 acted to control membrane potential when these plants were wounded. Specifically, the repolarization phase in aha1 mutants is prolonged relative to that in wild-type plants. In parallel, the jasmonate defense pathway is activated strongly and the mutant plants are better defended against herbivores than the wild type. We reveal that plants, like animals, use P-type ATPases in electrical signaling and show that AHA1 couples membrane potential to anti-herbivore defense.