Redirecting vacuolar nitrate transport improves nitrogen use efficiency and seed protein content
Improving seed protein content without compromising carbon allocation or yield is a major challenge for enhancing nitrogen use efficiency. Here, we show that redirecting vacuolar nitrate transport through concurrent manipulation of tonoplast proteins controlling nitrate storage or export provides an effective lever to reprogram nitrogen allocation from leaves toward the seeds. Using Arabidopsis…
Researchers have discovered a method to boost seed protein content without sacrificing carbon allocation or yield, addressing the challenge of enhancing nitrogen use efficiency. By manipulating vacuolar nitrate transport in Arabidopsis thaliana Ws lines, they found that plants with reduced nitrate retention in vegetative tissues and increased nitrogen allocation to seeds showed a significant 25% increase in seed protein content.
This modification did not impact seed yield, carbon concentration, or lipid composition. The altered vacuolar nitrate fluxes in these plants stimulated nitrate assimilation, enhanced nitrate reductase activity, and amino acid biosynthetic pathways. Through experiments, it was confirmed that the plants exhibited the highest nitrogen remobilization efficiency toward seeds.
Furthermore, overexpression of the barley NRT2.7 homolog in Arabidopsis wild type and clc-a backgrounds replicated the key features of the 35S::NRT2.7 phenotype, demonstrating the conservation of NRT2.7 regulatory effects on plant metabolism across species. These findings suggest that vacuolar nitrate transport could be a promising target for modulating grain protein content in cereals through genetic strategies aimed at nitrogen storage and remobilization.
Written by urgent.news from bioRxiv's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
