Ca2+ Signaling: an emerging player in plant antiviral defense.

Calcium is a universal messenger in different kingdoms of living organisms, regulating most physiological processes including the defense against pathogens. The threat of human viral infections became very clear in the recent years, which obviously triggered detailed research of all aspects of host-virus interactions, including the suppression of calcium signaling in infected cells. At the same time however, the threat of plant viral infections is underestimated in society, and research in the field of calcium signaling during viral infections is scarce. Here we highlight an emerging role of calcium signaling for the antiviral protection in plants in parallel with the known evidence for animal cells. Obtaining more knowledge in this domain might open new perspectives for future crop protection and improvement of food security.