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Wei Y, Wang M, Wang M, Yu D, Wei X. Elevated CO 2 concentration enhance carbon and nitrogen metabolism and biomass accumulation of Ormosiahosiei. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2024; 212:108725. [PMID: 38772164 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Elevated CO2 concentrations may inhibit photosynthesis due to nitrogen deficiency, but legumes may be able to overcome this limitation and continue to grow. Our study confirms this conjecture well. First, we placed the two-year-old potted saplings of Ormosia hosiei (O. hosiei) (a leguminous tree species) in the open-top chamber (OTC) with three CO2 concentrations of 400 (CK), 600 (E1), and 800 μmol·mol-1 (E2) to simulate the elevated CO2 concentration environment. After 146 days, the light saturation point (LSP), light compensation point (LCP), apparent quantum efficiency (AQE), and dark respiration rate (Rd) of O. hosiei were increased under increasing CO2 concentration and obtain the maximum ribulose diphosphate (RuBP) carboxylation rate (Vc max) and RuBP regenerated photosynthetic electron transfer rate (Jmax) were also significantly increased under E2 treatment (P < 0.05). This results in a significant increase of the maximum assimilation rate (Amax) under elevated CO2 concentrations. Sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) activity in sucrose metabolism increased in the leaves, more soluble sugars, starches, and sucrose was produced, but sucrose content only in leaves increased at E2, and more carbon flows to the roots. The activity of the NH4+ assimilating enzymes glutamine synthetase (GS), glutamate synthetase (GOGAT), and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) in the leaves of O. hosiei increases under elevated CO2 concentrations to promote nitrogen synthesis that reduces the content of ammonium nitrogen and increases the content of nitrate nitrogen. In addition, under E1 conditions, sucrose synthase (SS), direction of synthesis activity was highest and sucrose invertase (INV) activity was lowest, this means that the balance of C and N metabolism is maintained. While under E2 conditions SS activity decreased and INV activity increased, this increased C/N and nitrogen use efficiency. So, the elevated CO2 concentration promotes the accumulation of O. hosiei biomass, especially in the aboveground part, but did not have a significant effect on the accumulation of root biomass. This means that O. hosiei is able to cope under the elevated CO2 concentration without showing photosynthetic adaptation during the experimental period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wei
- College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Mingbin Wang
- College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Man Wang
- College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Dalong Yu
- College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Xiaoli Wei
- College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China; Institute for Forest Resources and the Environment of Guizhou, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China.
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2
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Sulieman S, Sheteiwy MS, Abdelrahman M, Tran LSP. γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) in N 2-fixing-legume symbiosis: Metabolic flux and carbon/nitrogen homeostasis in responses to abiotic constraints. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2024; 207:108362. [PMID: 38266561 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Nodule symbiosis is an energetic process that demands a tremendous carbon (C) cost, which massively increases in responses to environmental stresses. Notably, most common respiratory pathways (e.g., glycolysis and Krebs cycle) that sustain nitrogenase activity and subsequent nitrogen (N) assimilation (amino acid formation) display a noncyclic mode of C flux. In such circumstances, the nodule's energy charge could markedly decrease, leading to a lower symbiotic activity under stresses. The host plant then attempts to induce alternative robust metabolic pathways to minimize the C expenditure and compensate for the loss in respiratory substrates. GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) shunt appears to be among the highly conserved metabolic bypass induced in responses to stresses. Thus, it can be suggested that GABA, via its primary biosynthetic pathway (GABA shunt), is simultaneously induced to circumvent stress-susceptible decarboxylating portion of the Krebs cycle and to replenish symbiosome with energy and C skeletons for enhancing nitrogenase activity and N assimilation besides the additional C costs expended in the metabolic stress acclimations (e.g., biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and excretion of anions). The GABA-mediated C/N balance is strongly associated with interrelated processes, including pH regulation, oxygen (O2) protection, osmoregulation, cellular redox control, and N storage. Furthermore, it has been anticipated that GABA could be implicated in other functions beyond its metabolic role (i.e., signaling and transport). GABA helps plants possess remarkable metabolic plasticity, which might thus assist nodules in attenuating stressful events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saad Sulieman
- Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum, 13314, Shambat, Khartoum North, Sudan.
| | - Mohamed S Sheteiwy
- Department of Integrative Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 15551, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
| | - Mostafa Abdelrahman
- Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance, Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Lam-Son Phan Tran
- Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance, Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University, TX, 79409, USA.
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3
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Vlk D, Trněný O, Řepková J. Genes Associated with Biological Nitrogen Fixation Efficiency Identified Using RNA Sequencing in Red Clover ( Trifolium pratense L.). LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12121975. [PMID: 36556339 PMCID: PMC9785344 DOI: 10.3390/life12121975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Commonly studied in the context of legume-rhizobia symbiosis, biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is a key component of the nitrogen cycle in nature. Despite its potential in plant breeding and many years of research, information is still lacking as to the regulation of hundreds of genes connected with plant-bacteria interaction, nodulation, and nitrogen fixation. Here, we compared root nodule transcriptomes of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) genotypes with contrasting nitrogen fixation efficiency, and we found 491 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between plants with high and low BNF efficiency. The annotation of genes expressed in nodules revealed more than 800 genes not yet experimentally confirmed. Among genes mediating nodule development, four nod-ule-specific cysteine-rich (NCR) peptides were confirmed in the nodule transcriptome. Gene duplication analyses revealed that genes originating from tandem and dispersed duplication are significantly over-represented among DEGs. Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) organized expression profiles of the transcripts into 16 modules linked to the analyzed traits, such as nitrogen fixation efficiency or sample-specific modules. Overall, the results obtained broaden our knowledge about transcriptomic landscapes of red clover's root nodules and shift the phenotypic description of BNF efficiency on the level of gene expression in situ.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Vlk
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Masaryk University, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Oldřich Trněný
- Agricultural Research, Ltd., Zahradní 1, 664 41 Troubsko, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Řepková
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Masaryk University, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +420-549-49-6895
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Zhuang Q, Xue Y, Yao Z, Zhu S, Liang C, Liao H, Tian J. Phosphate starvation responsive GmSPX5 mediates nodule growth through interaction with GmNF-YC4 in soybean (Glycine max). THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 108:1422-1438. [PMID: 34587329 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorus (P) deficiency adversely affects nodule development as reflected by reduced nodule fresh weight in legume plants. Though mechanisms underlying nodule adaptation to P deficiency have been studied extensively, it remains largely unknown which regulator mediates nodule adaptation to P deficiency. In this study, GUS staining and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR analysis reveal that the SPX member GmSPX5 is preferentially expressed in soybean (Glycine max) nodules. Overexpression of GmSPX5 enhanced soybean nodule development particularly under phosphate (Pi) sufficient conditions. However, the Pi concentration was not affected in soybean tissues (i.e., leaves, roots, and nodules) of GmSPX5 overexpression or suppression lines, which distinguished it from other well-known SPX members functioning in control of Pi homeostasis in plants. Furthermore, GmSPX5 was observed to interact with the transcription factor GmNF-YC4 in vivo and in vitro. Overexpression of either GmSPX5 or GmNF-YC4 significantly upregulated the expression levels of five asparagine synthetase-related genes (i.e., GmASL2-6) in soybean nodules. Meanwhile, yeast one-hybrid and luciferase activity assays strongly suggested that interactions of GmSPX5 and GmNF-YC4 activate GmASL6 expression through enhancing GmNF-YC4 binding of the GmASL6 promoter. These results not only demonstrate the GmSPX5-GmNF-YC4-GmASL6 regulatory pathway mediating soybean nodule development, but also considerably improve our understanding of SPX functions in legume crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingli Zhuang
- Root Biology Center, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, P.R. China
| | - Yingbin Xue
- Root Biology Center, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, P.R. China
- Department of Resources and Environmental Sciences, College of Chemistry and Environment, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, 524088, P.R. China
| | - Zhufang Yao
- Root Biology Center, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, P.R. China
| | - Shengnan Zhu
- Root Biology Center, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, P.R. China
| | - Cuiyue Liang
- Root Biology Center, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, P.R. China
| | - Hong Liao
- Root Biology Center, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350000, P.R. China
| | - Jiang Tian
- Root Biology Center, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, P.R. China
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Booth NJ, Smith PMC, Ramesh SA, Day DA. Malate Transport and Metabolism in Nitrogen-Fixing Legume Nodules. Molecules 2021; 26:6876. [PMID: 34833968 PMCID: PMC8618214 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26226876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Legumes form a symbiosis with rhizobia, a soil bacterium that allows them to access atmospheric nitrogen and deliver it to the plant for growth. Biological nitrogen fixation occurs in specialized organs, termed nodules, that develop on the legume root system and house nitrogen-fixing rhizobial bacteroids in organelle-like structures termed symbiosomes. The process is highly energetic and there is a large demand for carbon by the bacteroids. This carbon is supplied to the nodule as sucrose, which is broken down in nodule cells to organic acids, principally malate, that can then be assimilated by bacteroids. Sucrose may move through apoplastic and/or symplastic routes to the uninfected cells of the nodule or be directly metabolised at the site of import within the vascular parenchyma cells. Malate must be transported to the infected cells and then across the symbiosome membrane, where it is taken up by bacteroids through a well-characterized dct system. The dicarboxylate transporters on the infected cell and symbiosome membranes have been functionally characterized but remain unidentified. Proteomic and transcriptomic studies have revealed numerous candidates, but more work is required to characterize their function and localise the proteins in planta. GABA, which is present at high concentrations in nodules, may play a regulatory role, but this remains to be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Booth
- College of Science & Engineering, Flinders University, GPO Box 5100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia; (N.J.B.); (S.A.R.)
| | | | - Sunita A. Ramesh
- College of Science & Engineering, Flinders University, GPO Box 5100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia; (N.J.B.); (S.A.R.)
| | - David A. Day
- College of Science & Engineering, Flinders University, GPO Box 5100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia; (N.J.B.); (S.A.R.)
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Trněný O, Vlk D, Macková E, Matoušková M, Řepková J, Nedělník J, Hofbauer J, Vejražka K, Jakešová H, Jansa J, Piálek L, Knotová D. Allelic Variants for Candidate Nitrogen Fixation Genes Revealed by Sequencing in Red Clover ( Trifolium pratense L.). Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E5470. [PMID: 31684086 PMCID: PMC6862357 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20215470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant-rhizobia symbiosis can activate key genes involved in regulating nodulation associated with biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). Although the general molecular basis of the BNF process is frequently studied, little is known about its intraspecific variability and the characteristics of its allelic variants. This study's main goals were to describe phenotypic and genotypic variation in the context of nitrogen fixation in red clover (Trifolium pretense L.) and identify variants in BNF candidate genes associated with BNF efficiency. Acetylene reduction assay validation was the criterion for selecting individual plants with particular BNF rates. Sequences in 86 key candidate genes were obtained by hybridization-based sequence capture target enrichment of plants with alternative phenotypes for nitrogen fixation. Two genes associated with BNF were identified: ethylene response factor required for nodule differentiation (EFD) and molybdate transporter 1 (MOT1). In addition, whole-genome population genotyping by double-digest restriction-site-associated sequencing (ddRADseq) was performed, and BNF was evaluated by the natural 15N abundance method. Polymorphisms associated with BNF and reflecting phenotype variability were identified. The genetic structure of plant accessions was not linked to BNF rate of measured plants. Knowledge of the genetic variation within BNF candidate genes and the characteristics of genetic variants will be beneficial in molecular diagnostics and breeding of red clover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oldřich Trněný
- Agricultural Research, Ltd., Zahradní 1, 664 41 Troubsko, Czech Republic.
| | - David Vlk
- Department of Experimental Biology, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Eliška Macková
- Department of Experimental Biology, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | | | - Jana Řepková
- Department of Experimental Biology, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Jan Nedělník
- Agricultural Research, Ltd., Zahradní 1, 664 41 Troubsko, Czech Republic.
| | - Jan Hofbauer
- Agricultural Research, Ltd., Zahradní 1, 664 41 Troubsko, Czech Republic.
| | - Karel Vejražka
- Agricultural Research, Ltd., Zahradní 1, 664 41 Troubsko, Czech Republic.
| | - Hana Jakešová
- Red Clover and Grass Breeding, 724 47 Hladké Životice, Czech Republic.
| | - Jan Jansa
- Institute of Microbiology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Lubomír Piálek
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Daniela Knotová
- Research Institute for Fodder Crops, Ltd., 664 41 Troubsko, Czech Republic.
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7
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Smigielski L, Laubach EM, Pesch L, Glock JML, Albrecht F, Slusarenko A, Panstruga R, Kuhn H. Nodulation Induces Systemic Resistance of Medicago truncatula and Pisum sativum Against Erysiphe pisi and Primes for Powdery Mildew-Triggered Salicylic Acid Accumulation. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2019; 32:1243-1255. [PMID: 31025899 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-11-18-0304-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Plants encounter beneficial and detrimental microorganisms both above- and belowground and the health status of the plant depends on the composition of this pan-microbiome. Beneficial microorganisms contribute to plant nutrition or systemically or locally protect plants against pathogens, thus facilitating adaptation to a variety of environments. Induced systemic resistance, caused by root-associated microbes, manifests as aboveground resistance against necrotrophic pathogens and is mediated by jasmonic acid/ethylene-dependent signaling. By contrast, systemic acquired resistance relies on salicylic acid (SA) signaling and confers resistance against secondary infection by (hemi)biotrophic pathogens. To investigate whether symbiotic rhizobia that are ubiquitously found in natural ecosystems are able to modulate resistance against biotrophs, we tested the impact of preestablished nodulation of Medicago truncatula and pea (Pisum sativum) plants against infection by the powdery mildew fungus Erysiphe pisi. We found that root symbiosis interfered with fungal penetration of M. truncatula and reduced asexual spore formation on pea leaves independently of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Improved resistance of nodulated plants correlated with elevated levels of free SA and SA-dependent marker gene expression upon powdery mildew infection. Our results suggest that nodulation primes the plants systemically for E. pisi-triggered SA accumulation and defense gene expression, resulting in increased resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Smigielski
- Institute for Biology I, Unit of Plant Molecular Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52056 Aachen, Germany
| | - Eva-Maria Laubach
- Institute for Biology I, Unit of Plant Molecular Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52056 Aachen, Germany
| | - Lina Pesch
- Institute for Biology I, Unit of Plant Molecular Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52056 Aachen, Germany
| | - Joanna Marie Leyva Glock
- Institute for Biology I, Unit of Plant Molecular Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52056 Aachen, Germany
| | - Frank Albrecht
- Institute for Biology III, Department of Plant Physiology, RWTH Aachen University
| | - Alan Slusarenko
- Institute for Biology III, Department of Plant Physiology, RWTH Aachen University
| | - Ralph Panstruga
- Institute for Biology I, Unit of Plant Molecular Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52056 Aachen, Germany
| | - Hannah Kuhn
- Institute for Biology I, Unit of Plant Molecular Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52056 Aachen, Germany
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8
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Seifikalhor M, Aliniaeifard S, Hassani B, Niknam V, Lastochkina O. Diverse role of γ-aminobutyric acid in dynamic plant cell responses. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2019; 38:847-867. [PMID: 30739138 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-019-02396-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a four-carbon non-protein amino acid, is found in most prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Although, ample research into GABA has occurred in mammals as it is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter; in plants, a role for GABA has often been suggested as a metabolite that changes under stress rather than as a signal, as no receptor or motif for GABA binding was identified until recently and many aspects of its biological function (ranging from perception to function) remain to be answered. In this review, flexible properties of GABA in regulation of plant responses to various environmental biotic and abiotic stresses and its integration in plant growth and development either as a metabolite or a signaling molecule are discussed. We have elaborated on the role of GABA in stress adaptation (i.e., salinity, hypoxia/anoxia, drought, temperature, heavy metals, plant-insect interplay and ROS-related responses) and its contribution in non-stress-related biological pathways (i.e., involvement in plant-microbe interaction, contribution to the carbon and nitrogen metabolism and governing of signal transduction pathways). This review aims to represent the multifunctional contribution of GABA in various biological and physiological mechanisms under stress conditions; the objective is to review the current state of knowledge about GABA role beyond stress-related responses. Our effort is to place findings about GABA in an organized and broader context to highlight its shared metabolic and biologic functions in plants under variable conditions. This will provide potential modes of GABA crosstalk in dynamic plant cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Seifikalhor
- Department of Plant Biology, Center of Excellence in Phylogeny of Living Organisms in Iran, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, 14155, Iran
| | - Sasan Aliniaeifard
- Department of Horticulture, College of Aburaihan, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Batool Hassani
- Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Niknam
- Department of Plant Biology, Center of Excellence in Phylogeny of Living Organisms in Iran, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, 14155, Iran
| | - Oksana Lastochkina
- Bashkir Research Institute of Agriculture, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ufa, Russia
- Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ufa, Russia
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9
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Liu A, Contador CA, Fan K, Lam HM. Interaction and Regulation of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Metabolisms in Root Nodules of Legumes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:1860. [PMID: 30619423 PMCID: PMC6305480 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Members of the plant family Leguminosae (Fabaceae) are unique in that they have evolved a symbiotic relationship with rhizobia (a group of soil bacteria that can fix atmospheric nitrogen). Rhizobia infect and form root nodules on their specific host plants before differentiating into bacteroids, the symbiotic form of rhizobia. This complex relationship involves the supply of C4-dicarboxylate and phosphate by the host plants to the microsymbionts that utilize them in the energy-intensive process of fixing atmospheric nitrogen into ammonium, which is in turn made available to the host plants as a source of nitrogen, a macronutrient for growth. Although nitrogen-fixing bacteroids are no longer growing, they are metabolically active. The symbiotic process is complex and tightly regulated by both the host plants and the bacteroids. The metabolic pathways of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphate are heavily regulated in the host plants, as they need to strike a fine balance between satisfying their own needs as well as those of the microsymbionts. A network of transporters for the various metabolites are responsible for the trafficking of these essential molecules between the two partners through the symbiosome membrane (plant-derived membrane surrounding the bacteroid), and these are in turn regulated by various transcription factors that control their expressions under different environmental conditions. Understanding this complex process of symbiotic nitrogen fixation is vital in promoting sustainable agriculture and enhancing soil fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ailin Liu
- Centre for Soybean Research, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, Shatin, Hong Kong
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Carolina A. Contador
- Centre for Soybean Research, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, Shatin, Hong Kong
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Kejing Fan
- Centre for Soybean Research, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, Shatin, Hong Kong
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Centre for Soybean Research, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, Shatin, Hong Kong
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
- *Correspondence: Hon-Ming Lam,
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10
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Goh CH, Nicotra AB, Mathesius U. The presence of nodules on legume root systems can alter phenotypic plasticity in response to internal nitrogen independent of nitrogen fixation. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2016; 39:883-96. [PMID: 26523414 DOI: 10.1111/pce.12672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Revised: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
All higher plants show developmental plasticity in response to the availability of nitrogen (N) in the soil. In legumes, N starvation causes the formation of root nodules, where symbiotic rhizobacteria fix atmospheric N2 for the host in exchange for fixed carbon (C) from the shoot. Here, we tested whether plastic responses to internal [N] of legumes are altered by their symbionts. Glasshouse experiments compared root phenotypes of three legumes, Medicago truncatula, Medicago sativa and Trifolium subterraneum, inoculated with their compatible symbiont partners and grown under four nitrate levels. In addition, six strains of rhizobia, differing in their ability to fix N2 in M. truncatula, were compared to test if plastic responses to internal [N] were dependent on the rhizobia or N2 -fixing capability of the nodules. We found that the presence of rhizobia affected phenotypic plasticity of the legumes to internal [N], particularly in root length and root mass ratio (RMR), in a plant species-dependent way. While root length responses of M. truncatula to internal [N] were dependent on the ability of rhizobial symbionts to fix N2 , RMR response to internal [N] was dependent only on initiation of nodules, irrespective of N2 -fixing ability of the rhizobia strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chooi-Hua Goh
- Division of Plant Science, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia
| | - Adrienne B Nicotra
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia
| | - Ulrike Mathesius
- Division of Plant Science, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia
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11
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Sulieman S, Tran LSP. Phosphorus homeostasis in legume nodules as an adaptive strategy to phosphorus deficiency. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2015; 239:36-43. [PMID: 26398789 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2015.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2015] [Revised: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/16/2015] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Legumes have a significant role in effective management of fertilizers and improving soil health in sustainable agriculture. Because of the high phosphorus (P) requirements of N2-fixing nodule, P deficiency represents an important constraint for legume crop production, especially in tropical marginal countries. P deficiency is an important constraint for legume crop production, especially in poor soils present in many tropical degraded areas. Unlike nitrogen, mineral P sources are nonrenewable, and high-grade rock phosphates are expected to be depleted in the near future. Accordingly, developing legume cultivars with effective N2 fixation under P-limited conditions could have a profound significance for improving agricultural sustainability. Legumes have evolved strategies at both morphological and physiological levels to adapt to P deficiency. Molecular mechanisms underlying the adaptive strategies to P deficiency have been elucidated in legumes. These include maintenance of the P-homeostasis in nodules as a main adaptive strategy for rhizobia-legume symbiosis under P deficiency. The stabilization of P levels in the symbiotic tissues can be achieved through several mechanisms, including elevated P allocation to nodules, formation of a strong P sink in nodules, direct P acquisition via nodule surface and P remobilization from organic-P containing substances. The detailed biochemical, physiological and molecular understanding will be essential to the advancement of genetic and molecular approaches for enhancement of legume adaptation to P deficiency. In this review, we evaluate recent progress made to gain further and deeper insights into the physiological, biochemical and molecular reprogramming that legumes use to maintain P-homeostasis in nodules during P scarcity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saad Sulieman
- Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum, 13314 Shambat, Khartoum North, Sudan.
| | - Lam-Son Phan Tran
- Signaling Pathway Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS), 1-7-22, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan.
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Jones JMC, Clairmont L, Macdonald ES, Weiner CA, Emery RJN, Guinel FC. E151 (sym15), a pleiotropic mutant of pea (Pisum sativum L.), displays low nodule number, enhanced mycorrhizae, delayed lateral root emergence, and high root cytokinin levels. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2015; 66:4047-59. [PMID: 25948707 PMCID: PMC4473994 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erv201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
In legumes, the formation of rhizobial and mycorrhizal root symbioses is a highly regulated process which requires close communication between plant and microorganism. Plant mutants that have difficulties establishing symbioses are valuable tools for unravelling the mechanisms by which these symbioses are formed and regulated. Here E151, a mutant of Pisum sativum cv. Sparkle, was examined to characterize its root growth and symbiotic defects. The symbioses in terms of colonization intensity, functionality of micro-symbionts, and organ dominance were compared between the mutant and wild type. The endogenous cytokinin (CK) and abscisic acid (ABA) levels and the effect of the exogenous application of these two hormones were determined. E151 was found to be a low and delayed nodulator, exhibiting defects in both the epidermal and cortical programmes though a few mature and functional nodules develop. Mycorrhizal colonization of E151 was intensified, although the fungal functionality was impaired. Furthermore, E151 displayed an altered lateral root (LR) phenotype compared with that of the wild type whereby LR emergence is initially delayed but eventually overcome. No differences in ABA levels were found between the mutant and the wild type, but non-inoculated E151 exhibited significantly high CK levels. It is hypothesized that CK plays an essential role in differentially mediating the entry of the two micro-symbionts into the cortex; whereas it would inhibit the entry of the rhizobia in that tissue, it would promote that of the fungus. E151 is a developmental mutant which may prove to be a useful tool in further understanding the role of hormones in the regulation of beneficial root symbioses.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M C Jones
- Biology Department, 75 University Avenue W, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada, N2L 3C5
| | - Lindsey Clairmont
- Biology Department, 75 University Avenue W, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada, N2L 3C5
| | - Emily S Macdonald
- Biology Department, 75 University Avenue W, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada, N2L 3C5
| | - Catherine A Weiner
- Biology Department, 75 University Avenue W, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada, N2L 3C5
| | - R J Neil Emery
- Biology Department, 1600 West Bank Drive, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada, K9J 7B8
| | - Frédérique C Guinel
- Biology Department, 75 University Avenue W, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada, N2L 3C5
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Cabeza RA, Liese R, Fischinger SA, Sulieman S, Avenhaus U, Lingner A, Hein H, Koester B, Baumgarten V, Dittert K, Schulze J. Long-term non-invasive and continuous measurements of legume nodule activity. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2015; 81:637-48. [PMID: 25640854 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.12751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2014] [Revised: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Symbiotic nitrogen fixation is a process of considerable economic, ecological and scientific interest. The central enzyme nitrogenase reduces H(+) alongside N2 , and the evolving H2 allows a continuous and non-invasive in vivo measurement of nitrogenase activity. The objective of this study was to show that an elaborated set-up providing such measurements for periods as long as several weeks will produce specific insight into the nodule activity's dependence on environmental conditions and genotype features. A system was developed that allows the air-proof separation of a root/nodule and a shoot compartment. H2 evolution in the root/nodule compartment can be monitored continuously. Nutrient solution composition, temperature, CO2 concentration and humidity around the shoots can concomitantly be maintained and manipulated. Medicago truncatula plants showed vigorous growth in the system when relying on nitrogen fixation. The set-up was able to provide specific insights into nitrogen fixation. For example, nodule activity depended on the temperature in their surroundings, but not on temperature or light around shoots. Increased temperature around the nodules was able to induce higher nodule activity in darkness versus light around shoots for a period of as long as 8 h. Conditions that affected the N demand of the shoots (ammonium application, Mg or P depletion, super numeric nodules) induced consistent and complex daily rhythms in nodule activity. It was shown that long-term continuous measurements of nodule activity could be useful for revealing special features in mutants and could be of importance when synchronizing nodule harvests for complex analysis of their metabolic status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo A Cabeza
- Section for Plant Nutrition and Crop Physiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Crop Science, University of Goettingen, Carl-Sprengel-Weg 1, Goettingen, 37075, Germany; Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Departamento de Ingeniería y Suelos, Universidad de Chile, Av. Santa Rosa 11315, La Pintana, Santiago, Chile
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Aranjuelo I, Arrese-Igor C, Molero G. Nodule performance within a changing environmental context. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2014; 171:1076-90. [PMID: 24974334 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2014.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2013] [Revised: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/02/2014] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Global climate models predict that future environmental conditions will see alterations in temperature, water availability and CO2 concentration ([CO2]) in the atmosphere. Climate change will reinforce the need to develop highly productive crops. For this purpose it is essential to identify target traits conditioning plant performance in changing environments. N2 fixing plants represent the second major crop of agricultural importance worldwide. The current review provides a compilation of results from existing literature on the effects of several abiotic stress conditions on nodule performance and N2 fixation. The environmental factors analysed include water stress, salinity, temperature, and elevated [CO2]. Despite the large number of studies analysing [CO2] effects in plants, frequently they have been conducted under optimal growth conditions that are difficult to find in natural conditions where different stresses often occur simultaneously. This is why we have also included a section describing the current state of knowledge of interacting environmental conditions in nodule functioning. Regardless of the environmental factor considered, it is evident that some general patterns of nodule response are observed. Nodule carbohydrate and N compound availability, together with the presence of oxygen reactive species (ROS) have proven to be the key factors modulating N2 fixation at the physiological/biochemical levels. However, with the exception of water availability and [CO2], it should also be considered that nodule performance has not been characterised in detail under other limiting growth conditions. This highlights the necessity to conduct further studies considering these factors. Finally, we also observe that a better understanding of these metabolic effects of changing environment in nodule functioning would require an integrated and synergistic investigation based on widely used and novel protocols such as transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and stable isotopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iker Aranjuelo
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología, Universidad Pública de Navarra-CSIC-Gobierno de Navarra, Campus de Arrosadía, E-31192 Mutilva Baja, Spain.
| | - Cesar Arrese-Igor
- Dpto. Ciencias del Medio Natural, Universidad Pública de Navarra, Instituto de Agrobiotecnología, Universidad Pública de Navarra-CSIC-Gobierno de Navarra, Campus de Arrosadía, E-31006 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Gemma Molero
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), El Batán, Texcoco CP 56130, Mexico
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Esfahani MN, Sulieman S, Schulze J, Yamaguchi-Shinozaki K, Shinozaki K, Tran LS. Approaches for enhancement of N₂ fixation efficiency of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under limiting nitrogen conditions. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2014; 12:387-97. [PMID: 24267445 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2013] [Revised: 09/19/2013] [Accepted: 10/03/2013] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is an important pulse crop in many countries in the world. The symbioses between chickpea and Mesorhizobia, which fix N₂ inside the root nodules, are of particular importance for chickpea's productivity. With the aim of enhancing symbiotic efficiency in chickpea, we compared the symbiotic efficiency of C-15, Ch-191 and CP-36 strains of Mesorhizobium ciceri in association with the local elite chickpea cultivar 'Bivanij' as well as studied the mechanism underlying the improvement of N₂ fixation efficiency. Our data revealed that C-15 strain manifested the most efficient N₂ fixation in comparison with Ch-191 or CP-36. This finding was supported by higher plant productivity and expression levels of the nifHDK genes in C-15 nodules. Nodule specific activity was significantly higher in C-15 combination, partially as a result of higher electron allocation to N₂ versus H⁺. Interestingly, a striking difference in nodule carbon and nitrogen composition was observed. Sucrose cleavage enzymes displayed comparatively lower activity in nodules established by either Ch-191 or CP-36. Organic acid formation, particularly that of malate, was remarkably higher in nodules induced by C-15 strain. As a result, the best symbiotic efficiency observed with C-15-induced nodules was reflected in a higher concentration of the total and several major amino metabolites, namely asparagine, glutamine, glutamate and aspartate. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that the improved efficiency in chickpea symbiotic system, established with C-15, was associated with the enhanced capacity of organic acid formation and the activities of the key enzymes connected to the nodule carbon and nitrogen metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Nasr Esfahani
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
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Sulieman S, Schulze J, Tran LSP. N-feedback regulation is synchronized with nodule carbon alteration in Medicago truncatula under excessive nitrate or low phosphorus conditions. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2014; 171:407-410. [PMID: 24594392 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2013.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2013] [Revised: 12/11/2013] [Accepted: 12/11/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the higher nodule amino acid content induced under certain treatments may play a role in the N-feedback regulation of nitrogenase (EC 1.18.6.1) activity by restricting the carbon supply to the functioning nodules. Growing Medicago truncatula plants under sub-optimal phosphorus conditions or upon exposure to large supply of nitrate caused significant asparagine accumulation in nodules of the treated plants. In addition, there was a remarkable decline in the nodule succinate content under phosphorus deprivation while malate was tended to increase. Interestingly, the relative share of succinate in the symbiotic tissues was totally inhibited, i.e. reached zero, by excessive nitrate application. These results provide evidence that succinate might be greatly affected by asparagine content of the nodule fraction, thereby restricting cellular carbon supply to the functioning bacteroids which leads to down-regulation of nodule metabolism and nitrogenase activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saad Sulieman
- Signaling Pathway Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS), 1-7-22, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045 Japan; Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum, 13314 Shambat, Khartoum North, Sudan.
| | - Joachim Schulze
- Department für Nutzpflanzenwissenschaften Abteilung Pflanzenernährung, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Carl-Sprengel-Weg 1, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Lam-Son Phan Tran
- Signaling Pathway Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS), 1-7-22, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045 Japan.
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Sulieman S, Ha CV, Schulze J, Tran LSP. Growth and nodulation of symbiotic Medicago truncatula at different levels of phosphorus availability. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2013; 64:2701-12. [PMID: 23682114 PMCID: PMC3697940 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ert122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Medicago truncatula is an important model plant for characterization of P deficiency on leguminous plants at the physiological and molecular levels. Growth optimization of this plant with regard to P supply is the first essential step for elucidation of the role of P in regulation of nodulation. Hence, a study was carried out to address the growth pattern of M. truncatula hydroponically grown at different gradual increases in P levels. The findings revealed that M. truncatula had a narrow P regime, with an optimum P level (12 μM P) which is relatively close to the concentration that induces P toxicity. The accumulated P concentration (2.7 mg g(-1) dry matter), which is normal for other crops and legumes, adversely affected the growth of M. truncatula plants. Under P deficiency, M. truncatula showed a higher symbiotic efficiency with Sinorhizobium meliloti 2011 in comparison with S. meliloti 102F51, partially as a result of higher electron allocation to N2 versus H(+). The total composition of free amino acids in the phloem was significantly affected by P deprivation. This pattern was found to be almost exclusively the result of the increase in the asparagine level, suggesting that asparagine might be the shoot-derived signal that translocates to the nodules and exerts the down-regulation of nitrogenase activity. Additionally, P deprivation was found to have a strong influence on the contents of the nodule carbon metabolites. While levels of sucrose and succinate tended to decrease, a higher accumulation of malate was observed. These findings have provided evidence that N2 fixation of M. truncatula is mediated through an N feedback mechanism which is closely related to nodule carbon metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saad Sulieman
- Signaling Pathway Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
- Department of Crop Sciences, Section of Plant Nutrition, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Carl-Sprengel-Weg 1, D-37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum, 13314 Shambat, Khartoum North, Sudan
| | - Chien Van Ha
- Signaling Pathway Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Joachim Schulze
- Department of Crop Sciences, Section of Plant Nutrition, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Carl-Sprengel-Weg 1, D-37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Lam-Son Phan Tran
- Signaling Pathway Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
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18
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Sulieman S, Schulze J, Tran LSP. Comparative Analysis of the Symbiotic Efficiency of Medicago truncatula and Medicago sativa under Phosphorus Deficiency. Int J Mol Sci 2013; 14:5198-213. [PMID: 23459233 PMCID: PMC3634504 DOI: 10.3390/ijms14035198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2013] [Revised: 02/14/2013] [Accepted: 02/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Phosphorus (P)-deficiency is a major abiotic stress that limits legume growth in many types of soils. The relationship between Medicago and Sinorhizobium, is known to be affected by different environmental conditions. Recent reports have shown that, in combination with S. meliloti 2011, Medicago truncatula had a lower symbiotic efficiency than Medicago sativa. However, little is known about how Medicago-Sinorhizobium is affected by P-deficiency at the whole-plant level. The objective of the present study was to compare and characterize the symbiotic efficiency of N2 fixation of M. truncatula and M. sativa grown in sand under P-limitation. Under this condition, M. truncatula exhibited a significantly higher rate of N2 fixation. The specific activity of the nodules was much higher in M. truncatula in comparison to M. sativa, partially as a result of an increase in electron allocation to N2 versus H+. Although the main organic acid, succinate, exhibited a strong tendency to decrease under P-deficiency, the more efficient symbiotic ability observed in M. truncatula coincided with an apparent increase in the content of malate in its nodules. Our results indicate that the higher efficiency of the M. truncatula symbiotic system is related to the ability to increase malate content under limited P-conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saad Sulieman
- Signaling Pathway Research Unit, Plant Science Center, RIKEN Yokohama Institute, 1-7-22, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan; E-Mail:
- Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum, Shambat, Khartoum North 13314, Sudan
| | - Joachim Schulze
- Department of Crop Sciences, Section of Plant Nutrition, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Carl-Sprengel-Weg 1, Göttingen 37075, Germany; E-Mail:
| | - Lam-Son Phan Tran
- Signaling Pathway Research Unit, Plant Science Center, RIKEN Yokohama Institute, 1-7-22, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan; E-Mail:
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ; Tel.: +81-45-503-9593; Fax: +81-45-503-9591
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Sulieman S, Tran LSP. Asparagine: an amide of particular distinction in the regulation of symbiotic nitrogen fixation of legumes. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2012; 33:309-27. [DOI: 10.3109/07388551.2012.695770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Laguerre G, Heulin-Gotty K, Brunel B, Klonowska A, Le Quéré A, Tillard P, Prin Y, Cleyet-Marel JC, Lepetit M. Local and systemic N signaling are involved in Medicago truncatula preference for the most efficient Sinorhizobium symbiotic partners. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2012; 195:437-449. [PMID: 22548481 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04159.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
• Responses of the Medicago truncatula-Sinorhizobium interaction to variation in N₂-fixation of the bacterial partner were investigated. • Split-root systems were used to discriminate between local responses, at the site of interaction with bacteria, and systemic responses related to the whole plant N status. • The lack of N acquisition by a half-root system nodulated with a nonfixing rhizobium triggers a compensatory response enabling the other half-root system nodulated with N₂-fixing partners to compensate the local N limitation. This response is mediated by a stimulation of nodule development (number and size) and involves a systemic signaling mechanism related to the plant N demand. In roots co-infected with poorly and highly efficient strains, partner choice for nodule formation was not modulated by the plant N status. However, the plant N demand induced preferential expansion of nodules formed with the most efficient partners when the symbiotic organs were functional. The response of nodule expansion was associated with the stimulation of symbiotic plant cell multiplication and of bacteroid differentiation. • A general model where local and systemic N signaling mechanisms modulate interactions between Medicago truncatula and its Sinorhizobium partners is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisèle Laguerre
- INRA, USC 1242, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- IRD, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- SupAgro, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- UM2, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Karine Heulin-Gotty
- INRA, USC 1242, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- IRD, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- SupAgro, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- UM2, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Brigitte Brunel
- INRA, USC 1242, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- IRD, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- SupAgro, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- UM2, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Agnieszka Klonowska
- INRA, USC 1242, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- IRD, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- SupAgro, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- UM2, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Antoine Le Quéré
- INRA, USC 1242, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- IRD, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- SupAgro, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- UM2, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Pascal Tillard
- INRA, UMR 5004, Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- CNRS, Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- SupAgro, Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- UM2, Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Yves Prin
- INRA, USC 1242, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- IRD, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- SupAgro, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- UM2, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-Claude Cleyet-Marel
- INRA, USC 1242, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- IRD, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- SupAgro, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- UM2, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Marc Lepetit
- INRA, USC 1242, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- IRD, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- SupAgro, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
- UM2, UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, F-34000 Montpellier, France
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Moreau D, Burstin J, Aubert G, Huguet T, Ben C, Prosperi JM, Salon C, Munier-Jolain N. Using a physiological framework for improving the detection of quantitative trait loci related to nitrogen nutrition in Medicago truncatula. TAG. THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS. THEORETISCHE UND ANGEWANDTE GENETIK 2012; 124:755-68. [PMID: 22113590 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-011-1744-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2011] [Accepted: 10/28/2011] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Medicago truncatula is used as a model plant for exploring the genetic and molecular determinants of nitrogen (N) nutrition in legumes. In this study, our aim was to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling plant N nutrition using a simple framework of carbon/N plant functioning stemming from crop physiology. This framework was based on efficiency variables which delineated the plant's efficiency to take up and process carbon and N resources. A recombinant inbred line population (LR4) was grown in a glasshouse experiment under two contrasting nitrate concentrations. At low nitrate, symbiotic N(2) fixation was the main N source for plant growth and a QTL with a large effect located on linkage group (LG) 8 affected all the traits. Significantly, efficiency variables were necessary both to precisely localize a second QTL on LG5 and to detect a third QTL involved in epistatic interactions on LG2. At high nitrate, nitrate assimilation was the main N source and a larger number of QTL with weaker effects were identified compared to low nitrate. Only two QTL were common to both nitrate treatments: a QTL of belowground biomass located at the bottom of LG3 and another one on LG6 related to three different variables (leaf area, specific N uptake and aboveground:belowground biomass ratio). Possible functions of several candidate genes underlying QTL of efficiency variables could be proposed. Altogether, our results provided new insights into the genetic control of N nutrition in M. truncatula. For instance, a novel result for M. truncatula was identification of two epistatic interactions in controlling plant N(2) fixation. As such this study showed the value of a simple conceptual framework based on efficiency variables for studying genetic determinants of complex traits and particularly epistatic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delphine Moreau
- INRA, UMR 102 Génétique et Ecophysiologie des Légumineuses, 17 rue Sully, BP 86510, 21065, Dijon cedex, France.
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Sulieman S. Does GABA increase the efficiency of symbiotic N2 fixation in legumes? PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2011; 6:32-6. [PMID: 21307661 PMCID: PMC3122002 DOI: 10.4161/psb.6.1.14318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2010] [Accepted: 11/29/2010] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The ability to regulate the rates of metabolic processes in response to changes in the internal and/or external environment is a fundamental feature which is inherent in all organisms. This adaptability is necessary for conserving the stability of the intercellular environment (homeostasis) which is essential for maintaining an efficient functional state in the organism. Symbiotic nitrogen fixation in legumes is an important process which establishes from the complex interaction between the host plant and microorganism. This process is widely believed to be regulated by the host plant nitrogen demand through a whole plant N feedback mechanism in particular under unfavorable conditions. This mechanism is probably triggered by the impact of shoot-borne, phloem-delivered substances. The precise mechanism of the potential signal is under debate, however, the whole phenomenon is probably related to a constant amino acid cycling within the plant, thereby signaling the shoot nitrogen status. Recent work indicating that there may be a flow of nitrogen to bacteroids is discussed in light of hypothesis that such a flow may be important to nodule function. Large amount of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are cycled through the root nodules of the symbiotic plants. In this paper some recent evidence concerning the possible role of GABA in whole-plant-based up regulation of symbiotic nitrogen fixation will be reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saad Sulieman
- Department of Crop Sciences, Plant Nutrition, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
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Sulieman S, Schulze J. Phloem-derived γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is involved in upregulating nodule N2 fixation efficiency in the model legume Medicago truncatula. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2010; 33:2162-2172. [PMID: 20716066 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3040.2010.02214.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen fixation in legumes is downregulated through a whole plant N feedback mechanism, for example, when under stress. This mechanism is probably triggered by the impact of shoot-borne, phloem-delivered compounds. However, little is known about any whole-plant mechanism that might upregulate nitrogen fixation, for example, under N deficiency. We induced emerging N-deficiency through partial excision of nodules from Medicago truncatula plants. Subsequently, the activity and composition of the remaining nodules and shifts in concentration of free amides/amino acids in the phloem were monitored. Furthermore, we mimicked these shifts through artificial feeding of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) into the phloem of undisturbed plants. As a result of increased specific activity of nodules, N(2) fixation per plant recovered almost completely 4-5 d after excision. The concentration of amino acids, sugars and organic acids increased strongly in the upregulated nodules. A concomitant analysis of the phloem revealed a significant increase in GABA concentration. Comparable with the effect of nodule excision, artificial GABA feeding into the phloem resulted in an increased activity and higher concentration of amino acids and organic acids in nodules. It is concluded that GABA might be involved in upregulating nodule activity, possibly because of its constituting part of a putative amino acid cycle between bacteroids and the cytosol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saad Sulieman
- Department of Crop Sciences, Plant Nutrition, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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Sulieman S, Fischinger SA, Gresshoff PM, Schulze J. Asparagine as a major factor in the N-feedback regulation of N2 fixation in Medicago truncatula. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2010; 140:21-31. [PMID: 20444196 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-3054.2010.01380.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to assess whether a whole plant N-feedback regulation impact on nitrogen fixation in Medicago truncatula would manifest itself in shifts of the composition of the amino acid flow from shoots to nodules. Detected shifts in the phloem amino acid composition were supposed to be mimicked through artificial phloem feeding and concomitant measurement of nodule activity. The amino acid composition of the phloem exudates was analyzed from plants grown under the influence of treatments (limiting P supply or application of combined nitrogen) known to reduce nodule nitrogen fixation activity. Plants in nutrient solution were supplied with sufficient (9 microM) control, limiting (1 microM) phosphorus or 3 mM NH(4)NO(3) (downregulated nodule activity). Low phosphorus and the application of NH(4)NO(3) reduced per plant and specific nitrogenase activity (H(2) evolution). At day 64 of growth, phloem exudates were collected from cuts of the shoot base. The amount of amino acids was strongly increased in both phloem exudates and nodules of the treatments with downregulated nodule activity. The increase in the downregulated treatments was almost exclusively the result of a higher proportion of asparagine in both phloem exudates and nodules. Leaf labeling with (15)N showed that nitrogen from the leaves is retranslocated to nodules. An artificial phloem feeding with asparagine resulted in an increased concentration of asparagine in nodules and a decreased nodule activity. A possible role of asparagine in an N-feedback regulation of nitrogen fixation in M. truncatula is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saad Sulieman
- Department of Crop Sciences, Plant Nutrition, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
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