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Transcriptomic analysis highlights reciprocal interactions of urea and nitrate for nitrogen acquisition by maize roots.
- Source :
-
Plant & cell physiology [Plant Cell Physiol] 2015 Mar; Vol. 56 (3), pp. 532-48. Date of Electronic Publication: 2014 Dec 17. - Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- Even though urea and nitrate are the two major nitrogen (N) forms applied as fertilizers in agriculture and occur concomitantly in soils, the reciprocal influence of these two N sources on the mechanisms of their acquisition are poorly understood. Therefore, molecular and physiological aspects of urea and nitrate uptake were investigated in maize (Zea mays), a crop plant consuming high amounts of N. In roots, urea uptake was stimulated by the presence of urea in the external solution, indicating the presence of an inducible transport system. On the other hand, the presence of nitrate depressed the induction of urea uptake and, at the same time, the induction of nitrate uptake was depressed by the presence of urea. The expression of about 60,000 transcripts of maize in roots was monitored by microarray analyses and the transcriptional patterns of those genes involved in nitrogen acquisition were analyzed by real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). In comparison with the treatment without added N, the exposure of maize roots to urea modulated the expression of only very few genes, such as asparagine synthase. On the other hand, the concomitant presence of urea and nitrate enhanced the overexpression of genes involved in nitrate transport (NRT2) and assimilation (nitrate and nitrite reductase, glutamine synthetase 2), and a specific response of 41 transcripts was determined, including glutamine synthetase 1-5, glutamine oxoglutarate aminotransferase, shikimate kinase and arogenate dehydrogenase. Also based on the real-time RT-PCR analysis, the transcriptional modulation induced by both sources might determine an increase in N metabolism promoting a more efficient assimilation of the N that is taken up.<br /> (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)
- Subjects :
- Biological Transport drug effects
Biological Transport genetics
Biomass
Down-Regulation drug effects
Down-Regulation genetics
Gene Expression Profiling
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant drug effects
Genes, Plant
Nitrates pharmacology
Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
Plant Roots genetics
Plant Roots metabolism
Plant Shoots drug effects
Plant Shoots metabolism
RNA, Messenger genetics
RNA, Messenger metabolism
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Transcription, Genetic drug effects
Transcriptome drug effects
Up-Regulation drug effects
Up-Regulation genetics
Urea pharmacology
Zea mays drug effects
Nitrates metabolism
Nitrogen metabolism
Transcriptome genetics
Urea metabolism
Zea mays genetics
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1471-9053
- Volume :
- 56
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Plant & cell physiology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 25524070
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1093/pcp/pcu202