Plant cell electrophysiology: Applications in growth enhancement, somatic hybridisation and gene transfer

The use and exploitation of electrophysiology with plant cells have witnessed a slow but steady increase for a number of purposes in recent years. First envisaged only as a tool for the recovery of somatic hybrid plants following protoplast electrofusion, or for transient and/or stable genetic transformation following electroporation-mediated entry of foreign genes into protoplasts and cells, electrophysiological studies with plant cells and tissues have since spanned into other areas, and particularly for the assessment of the possible effects of electric and electromagnetic fields on the subsequent growth and differentiation competences of the electro-treated cells. This review will critically discuss these various applications of electrophysiology and will also aim at analysing the fundamental physiological and physico-chemical mechanisms underlying them.