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Wang D, Lan Y, Chen W, Han X, Liu S, Cao D, Cheng X, Wang Q, Zhan Z, He W. The six-year biochar retention interacted with fertilizer addition alters the soil organic nitrogen supply capacity in bulk and rhizosphere soil. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 338:117757. [PMID: 36996567 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117757] [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: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen fractions in soil, like organic nitrogen, mineral nitrogen, and free amino acids, are sensitive pointers to the soil nitrogen pools involved in nutrient cycling. As a potential improvement measure, biochar might improve soil fertility and nutrient availability. However, few studies have focused on the long-term effects of biochar retention on the soil nitrogen supply capacity of bulk and rhizosphere soil in brown earth. Therefore, a six-year field experiment was conducted in 2013, concentrating on the impact of biochar retention on soil nitrogen fractions. Four biochar rates were tested: no biochar amendment (CK); 15.75 t ha-1 of biochar (BC1); 31.5 t ha-1 of biochar (BC2); 47.25 t ha-1 of biochar (BC3). Our results showed that the elevated application rates significantly enhanced soil organic matter (SOM), and total nitrogen (TN), and improved pH in both bulk and rhizosphere soils. Acid-hydrolyzable nitrogen (AHN) content in biochar treatments was higher than that of CK in bulk and rhizosphere soil. The content of non-hydrolyzable nitrogen (NHN) was increased in 47.25 t ha-1 of biochar retention. Ammonium nitrogen (AN) and amino sugar nitrogen (ASN) contents were higher in bulk soil than in rhizosphere soil. Neutral amino acid contents were the highest both in bulk and rhizosphere soil. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that soil organic nitrogen was significantly influenced by BC3 treatment in bulk soil, and largely influenced by other treatments in rhizosphere soil. Partial least square path modeling (PLSPM) revealed that NH4+-N was mainly derived from amino acid nitrogen (AAN) and AN in bulk soil and AAN and ASN in rhizosphere soil. These results indicate that different biochar retention rates contributed to improve soil nutrients. Amino acid nitrogen was the prominent nitrogen source of NH4+-N in bulk and rhizosphere soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Wang
- Agronomy College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China; Key Laboratory of Biochar and Soil Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Yu Lan
- Agronomy College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China; Key Laboratory of Biochar and Soil Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China, Shenyang, 110866, China.
| | - Wenfu Chen
- Agronomy College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China; Key Laboratory of Biochar and Soil Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China, Shenyang, 110866, China.
| | - Xiaori Han
- Key Laboratory of Biochar and Soil Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China, Shenyang, 110866, China; Land and Environment College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Suying Liu
- Agronomy College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China; Key Laboratory of Biochar and Soil Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Dianyun Cao
- Agronomy College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China; Key Laboratory of Biochar and Soil Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Xiaoyi Cheng
- Agronomy College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China; Key Laboratory of Biochar and Soil Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Qingyang Wang
- Agronomy College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China; Key Laboratory of Biochar and Soil Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Zengyi Zhan
- Agronomy College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China; Key Laboratory of Biochar and Soil Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Wanying He
- Agronomy College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China; Key Laboratory of Biochar and Soil Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China, Shenyang, 110866, China
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Bělonožníková K, Černý M, Hýsková V, Synková H, Valcke R, Hodek O, Křížek T, Kavan D, Vaňková R, Dobrev P, Haisel D, Ryšlavá H. Casein as protein and hydrolysate: Biostimulant or nitrogen source for Nicotiana tabacum plants grown in vitro? PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2023; 175:e13973. [PMID: 37402155 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
In contrast to inorganic nitrogen (N) assimilation, the role of organic N forms, such as proteins and peptides, as sources of N and their impact on plant metabolism remains unclear. Simultaneously, organic biostimulants are used as priming agents to improve plant defense response. Here, we analysed the metabolic response of tobacco plants grown in vitro with casein hydrolysate or protein. As the sole source of N, casein hydrolysate enabled tobacco growth, while protein casein was used only to a limited extent. Free amino acids were detected in the roots of tobacco plants grown with protein casein but not in the plants grown with no source of N. Combining hydrolysate with inorganic N had beneficial effects on growth, root N uptake and protein content. The metabolism of casein-supplemented plants shifted to aromatic (Trp), branched-chain (Ile, Leu, Val) and basic (Arg, His, Lys) amino acids, suggesting their preferential uptake and/or alterations in their metabolic pathways. Complementarily, proteomic analysis of tobacco roots identified peptidase C1A and peptidase S10 families as potential key players in casein degradation and response to N starvation. Moreover, amidases were significantly upregulated, most likely for their role in ammonia release and impact on auxin synthesis. In phytohormonal analysis, both forms of casein influenced phenylacetic acid and cytokinin contents, suggesting a root system response to scarce N availability. In turn, metabolomics highlighted the stimulation of some plant defense mechanisms under such growth conditions, that is, the high concentrations of secondary metabolites (e.g., ferulic acid) and heat shock proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kateřina Bělonožníková
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Černý
- Department of Molecular Biology and Radiobiology, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Hýsková
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Helena Synková
- Institute of Experimental Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Praha 6, Czech Republic
| | - Roland Valcke
- Molecular and Physical Plant Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Ondřej Hodek
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Křížek
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Kavan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Radomíra Vaňková
- Institute of Experimental Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Praha 6, Czech Republic
| | - Petre Dobrev
- Institute of Experimental Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Praha 6, Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Haisel
- Institute of Experimental Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Praha 6, Czech Republic
| | - Helena Ryšlavá
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Praha 2, Czech Republic
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Adamczyk B. Root-Derived Proteases as a Plant Tool to Access Soil Organic Nitrogen; Current Stage of Knowledge and Controversies. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10040731. [PMID: 33918076 PMCID: PMC8069566 DOI: 10.3390/plants10040731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic deterioration of the global nitrogen (N) cycle emerges mainly from overuse of inorganic N fertilizers in nutrient-limited cropping systems. To counteract a further dysregulation of the N cycle, we need to improve plant nitrogen use efficiency. This aim may be reached via unravelling all plant mechanisms to access soil N, with special attention to the dominating high-molecular-mass N pool. Traditionally, we believe that inorganic N is the only plant-available N pool, however, more recent studies point to acquisition of organic N compounds, i.e., amino acids, short peptides, and proteins. The least known mechanism of plants to increase the N uptake is a direct increase of soil proteolysis via root-derived proteases. This paper provides a review of the knowledge about root-derived proteases and also controversies behind this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bartosz Adamczyk
- The Natural Resources Institute, Luonnonvarakeskus, Viikinkaari 4, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
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Farzadfar S, Knight JD, Congreves KA. Soil organic nitrogen: an overlooked but potentially significant contribution to crop nutrition. PLANT AND SOIL 2021; 462:7-23. [PMID: 34720208 PMCID: PMC8550315 DOI: 10.1007/s11104-021-04860-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND For more than a century, crop N nutrition research has primarily focused on inorganic N (IN) dynamics, building the traditional model that agricultural plants predominantly take up N in the form of NO3 - and NH4 +. However, results reported in the ecological and agricultural literature suggest that the traditional model of plant N nutrition is oversimplified. SCOPE We examine the role of organic N (ON) in plant N nutrition, first by reviewing the historical discoveries by ecologists of plant ON uptake, then by discussing the advancements of key analytical techniques that have furthered the cause (stable isotope and microdialysis techniques). The current state of knowledge on soil ON dynamics is analyzed concurrently with recent developments that show ON uptake and assimilation by agricultural plant species. Lastly, we consider the relationship between ON uptake and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in an agricultural context. CONCLUSIONS We propose several mechanisms by which ON uptake and assimilation may increase crop NUE, such as by reducing N assimilation costs, promoting root biomass growth, shaping N cycling microbial communities, recapturing exuded N compounds, and aligning the root uptake capacity to the soil N supply in highly fertilized systems. These hypothetical mechanisms should direct future research on the topic. Although the quantitative role remains unknown, ON compounds should be considered as significant contributors to plant N nutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soudeh Farzadfar
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8 Canada
| | - J. Diane Knight
- Department of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8 Canada
| | - Kate A. Congreves
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8 Canada
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Enggrob KL, Jakobsen CM, Pedersen IF, Rasmussen J. Newly depolymerized large organic N contributes directly to amino acid uptake in young maize plants. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 224:689-699. [PMID: 31325391 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The contribution of large molecular size organic nitrogen (N) to plant N uptake is unclear. Soils with and without maize, at three pH levels, were treated with (carbon-14 and -13 (14 C, 13 C), 15 N) triple-labelled > 100 kDa organic N. After 48 h, soil and maize were sampled for bulk and compound specific isotope analysis to study the turnover in soil and plant 13 C and 15 N uptake. Mineralization of > 100 kDa organic N increased with higher pH only in soil without maize. The > 100 kDa organic N disappeared rapidly in soils with and without maize, but surprisingly more > 100 kDa organic N derived amino acids remained in soil with than without maize - most likely in the microbial biomass. Total 15 N uptake in maize increased with higher soil pH. The organic N uptake was estimated to account for 20-30% of the total 15 N uptake. Organic N uptake was confirmed by the presence of 13 C-labelled amino acids in maize roots. The study suggests that the importance of plant organic N uptake increases when N is derived from complex molecules such as proteins compared to studies using single amino acids as N source, and that rhizosphere microorganisms increase anabolic utilization of organic N compared to microorganisms in the bulk soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Lønne Enggrob
- Department of Agroecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Aarhus University, Post Box 50, 8830, Tjele, Denmark
| | - Charlotte Marie Jakobsen
- Department of Agroecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Aarhus University, Post Box 50, 8830, Tjele, Denmark
| | - Ingeborg Frøsig Pedersen
- Department of Agroecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Aarhus University, Post Box 50, 8830, Tjele, Denmark
| | - Jim Rasmussen
- Department of Agroecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Aarhus University, Post Box 50, 8830, Tjele, Denmark
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Han R, Khalid M, Juan J, Huang D. Exogenous glycine inhibits root elongation and reduces nitrate-N uptake in pak choi (Brassica campestris ssp. Chinensis L.). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0204488. [PMID: 30240454 PMCID: PMC6150514 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) supply, including NO3--N and organic N in the form of amino acids can influence the morphological attributes of plants. For example, amino acids contribute to plant nutrition; however, the effects of exogenous amino acids on NO3--N uptake and root morphology have received little attention. In this study, we evaluated the effects of exogenous glycine (Gly) on root growth and NO3--N uptake in pak choi (Brassica campestris ssp. Chinensis L.). Addition of Gly to NO3--N agar medium or hydroponic solution significantly decreased pak choi seedling root length; these effects of Gly on root morphology were not attributed to the proportion of N supply derived from Gly. When pak choi seedlings were exposed to mixtures of Gly and NO3--N in hydroponic culture, Gly significantly reduced 15NO3--N uptake but significantly increased the number of root tips per unit root length, root activity and 15NO3--N uptake rate per unit root length. In addition, 15N-Gly was taken up into the plants. In contrast to absorbed NO3--N, which was mostly transported to the shoots, a larger proportion of absorbed Gly was retained in the roots. Exogenous Gly enhanced root 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase (ACS) and oxidase (ACO) activities and ethylene production. The ethylene antagonists aminoethoxyvinylglycine (0.5 μM AVG) and silver nitrate (10 μM AgNO3) partly reversed Gly-induced inhibition of primary root elongation on agar plates and increased the NO3--N uptake rate under hydroponic conditions, indicating exogenous Gly exerts these effects at least partly by enhancing ethylene production in roots. These findings suggest Gly substantially affects root morphology and N uptake and provide new information on the specific responses elicited by organic N sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruifeng Han
- Department of Plant Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Muhammad Khalid
- Department of Plant Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Jiaxiang Juan
- Department of Plant Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Danfeng Huang
- Department of Plant Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai, P. R. China
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Chu Q, Sha Z, Nakamura T, Oka N, Osaki M, Watanabe T. Differential Responses of Soybean and Sorghum Growth, Nitrogen Uptake, and Microbial Metabolism in the Rhizosphere to Cattle Manure Application: A Rhizobox Study. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2016; 64:8084-8094. [PMID: 27726362 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.6b03046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we determined the capacity of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr. cv. Hoyoharuka) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench. cv. Hybrid Sorgo) to utilize different forms of nitrogen (N) in a rhizobox system. Seedlings were grown for 35 days without N or with 130 mg N kg-1 soil as ammonium sulfate or farmyard cattle manure. The soil fractions at different distances from the root were sliced millimeter by millimeter in the rhizobox system. We assessed the distribution of different forms of N and microbial metabolism in different soil fractions in the rhizosphere. There are no treatment-dependent changes in biomass production in the roots and shoots of soybeans, however, the ammonium and manure treatment yielded 1.30 and 1.40 times higher shoot biomass of sorghum than the control. Moreover, the depletion of inorganic N and total amino acids (TAA) in the rhizosphere was largely undetectable at various distances from the soybean roots regardless of the treatments employed. The addition of ammonium sulfate resulted in a decrease in the nitrate concentration gradient as the distance decreased from the sorghum roots. The addition of manure to the soil increased the N content in the sorghum shoots, 1.57 times higher than the control; this increase was negatively correlated with the concentrations of TAA in the soil of the root compartment. In addition, the application of manure simultaneously induced TAA depletion (i.e., the TAA concentration in root compartment was 1.48 times higher than that in bulk soil) and greater microbial activity and diversity in the sorghum rhizosphere, where higher microbial consumption of asparagine, glutamic acid, and phenylalanine were also observed near the roots. Our results are first to present the evidence that sorghum may possess a high capacity for taking up amino acids as a consequence of organic matter application, and microbial metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingnan Chu
- Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University , Kita-9, Nishi-9, Kitaku, Sapporo 060-8589, Japan
| | - Zhimin Sha
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiaotong University , 200240 Shanghai, China
| | - Takuji Nakamura
- Hokkaido Agricultural Research Center, NARO , Sapporo 062-8555, Japan
| | - Norikuni Oka
- Hokkaido Agricultural Research Center, NARO , Sapporo 062-8555, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Osaki
- Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University , Kita-9, Nishi-9, Kitaku, Sapporo 060-8589, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Watanabe
- Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University , Kita-9, Nishi-9, Kitaku, Sapporo 060-8589, Japan
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8
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Brackin R, Näsholm T, Robinson N, Guillou S, Vinall K, Lakshmanan P, Schmidt S, Inselsbacher E. Nitrogen fluxes at the root-soil interface show a mismatch of nitrogen fertilizer supply and sugarcane root uptake capacity. Sci Rep 2015; 5:15727. [PMID: 26496834 PMCID: PMC4620560 DOI: 10.1038/srep15727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Globally only ≈50% of applied nitrogen (N) fertilizer is captured by crops, and the remainder can cause pollution via runoff and gaseous emissions. Synchronizing soil N supply and crop demand will address this problem, however current soil analysis methods provide little insight into delivery and acquisition of N forms by roots. We used microdialysis, a novel technique for in situ quantification of soil nutrient fluxes, to measure N fluxes in sugarcane cropping soils receiving different fertilizer regimes, and compare these with N uptake capacities of sugarcane roots. We show that in fertilized sugarcane soils, fluxes of inorganic N exceed the uptake capacities of sugarcane roots by several orders of magnitude. Contrary, fluxes of organic N closely matched roots' uptake capacity. These results indicate root uptake capacity constrains plant acquisition of inorganic N. This mismatch between soil N supply and root N uptake capacity is a likely key driver for low N efficiency in the studied crop system. Our results also suggest that (i) the relative contribution of inorganic N for plant nutrition may be overestimated when relying on soil extracts as indicators for root-available N, and (ii) organic N may contribute more to crop N supply than is currently assumed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Brackin
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Torgny Näsholm
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science Center, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Nicole Robinson
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Stéphane Guillou
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Kerry Vinall
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Prakash Lakshmanan
- Sugar Research Australia, 50 Meiers Road, Indooroopilly, QLD 4068, Australia
| | - Susanne Schmidt
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Erich Inselsbacher
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
- University of Vienna, Department of Geography and Regional Research, Vienna, AT-1090, Austria
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9
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Wilkinson A, Hill PW, Vaieretti MV, Farrar JF, Jones DL, Bardgett RD. Challenging the paradigm of nitrogen cycling: no evidence of in situ resource partitioning by coexisting plant species in grasslands of contrasting fertility. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:275-87. [PMID: 25691957 PMCID: PMC4314261 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2013] [Revised: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In monoculture, certain plant species are able to preferentially utilize different nitrogen (N) forms, both inorganic and organic, including amino acids and peptides, thus forming fundamental niches based on the chemical form of N. Results from field studies, however, are inconsistent: Some showing that coexisting plant species predominantly utilize inorganic N, while others reveal distinct interspecies preferences for different N forms. As a result, the extent to which hypothetical niches are realized in nature remains unclear. Here, we used in situ stable isotope tracer techniques to test the idea, in temperate grassland, that niche partitioning of N based on chemical form is related to plant productivity and the relative availability of organic and inorganic N. We also tested in situ whether grassland plants vary in their ability to compete for, and utilize peptides, which have recently been shown to act as an N source for plants in strongly N-limited ecosystems. We hypothesized that plants would preferentially use NO3 (-)-N and NH4 (+)-N over dissolved organic N in high-productivity grassland where inorganic N availability is high. On the other hand, in low-productivity grasslands, where the availability of dissolved inorganic N is low, and soil availability of dissolved organic N is greater, we predicted that plants would preferentially use N from amino acids and peptides, prior to microbial mineralization. Turves from two well-characterized grasslands of contrasting productivity and soil N availability were injected, in situ, with mixtures of (15)N-labeled inorganic N (NO3 (-) and NH4 (+)) and (13)C(15)N labeled amino acid (l-alanine) and peptide (l-tri-alanine). In order to measure rapid assimilation of these N forms by soil microbes and plants, the uptake of these substrates was traced within 2.5 hours into the shoots of the most abundant plant species, as well as roots and the soil microbial biomass. We found that, contrary to our hypothesis, the majority of plant species across both grasslands took up most N in the form of NH4 (+), suggesting that inorganic N is their predominant N source. However, we did find that organic N was a source of N which could be utilized by plant species at both sites, and in the low-productivity grassland, plants were able to capture some tri-alanine-N directly. Although our findings did not support the hypothesis that differences in the availability of inorganic and organic N facilitate resource partitioning in grassland, they do support the emerging view that peptides represent a significant, but until now neglected, component of the terrestrial N cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Wilkinson
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster UniversityBailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, U.K
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, The University of ManchesterOxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, U.K
| | - Paul W Hill
- School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography, College of Natural Sciences, Bangor UniversityGwynedd, LL57 2UW, U.K
| | - María V Vaieretti
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV)Casilla de Correo 495, 5000, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - John F Farrar
- School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography, College of Natural Sciences, Bangor UniversityGwynedd, LL57 2UW, U.K
| | - Davey L Jones
- School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography, College of Natural Sciences, Bangor UniversityGwynedd, LL57 2UW, U.K
| | - Richard D Bardgett
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster UniversityBailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, U.K
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, The University of ManchesterOxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, U.K
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10
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Lonhienne TGA, Trusov Y, Young A, Rentsch D, Näsholm T, Schmidt S, Paungfoo-Lonhienne C. Effects of externally supplied protein on root morphology and biomass allocation in Arabidopsis. Sci Rep 2014; 4:5055. [PMID: 24852366 PMCID: PMC4031471 DOI: 10.1038/srep05055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 05/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Growth, morphogenesis and function of roots are influenced by the concentration and form of nutrients present in soils, including low molecular mass inorganic N (IN, ammonium, nitrate) and organic N (ON, e.g. amino acids). Proteins, ON of high molecular mass, are prevalent in soils but their possible effects on roots have received little attention. Here, we investigated how externally supplied protein of a size typical of soluble soil proteins influences root development of axenically grown Arabidopsis. Addition of low to intermediate concentrations of protein (bovine serum albumen, BSA) to IN-replete growth medium increased root dry weight, root length and thickness, and root hair length. Supply of higher BSA concentrations inhibited root development. These effects were independent of total N concentrations in the growth medium. The possible involvement of phytohormones was investigated using Arabidopsis with defective auxin (tir1-1 and axr2-1) and ethylene (ein2-1) responses. That no phenotype was observed suggests a signalling pathway is operating independent of auxin and ethylene responses. This study expands the knowledge on N form-explicit responses to demonstrate that ON of high molecular mass elicits specific responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry G. A. Lonhienne
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Yuri Trusov
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Anthony Young
- Plant Pathology Herbarium, Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries, QLD, 4068, Australia
| | - Doris Rentsch
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Torgny Näsholm
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, and Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, SLU, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Susanne Schmidt
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
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Abstract
As a signalling molecule, glutamate is best known for its role as a fast excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian nervous system, a role that requires the activity of a family of ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs). The unexpected discovery in 1998 that Arabidopsis thaliana L. possesses a family of iGluR-related (GLR) genes laid the foundations for an assessment of glutamate's potential role as a signalling molecule in plants that is still in progress. Recent advances in elucidating the function of Arabidopsis GLR receptors has revealed similarities with iGluRs in their channel properties, but marked differences in their ligand specificities. The ability of plant GLR receptors to act as amino-acid-gated Ca(2+) channels with a broad agonist profile, combined with their expression throughout the plant, makes them strong candidates for a multiplicity of amino acid signalling roles. Although root growth is inhibited in the presence of a number of amino acids, only glutamate elicits a specific sequence of changes in growth, root tip morphology, and root branching. The recent finding that the MEKK1 gene is a positive regulator of glutamate sensitivity at the root tip has provided genetic evidence for the existence in plants of a glutamate signalling pathway analogous to those found in animals. This short review will discuss the most recent advances in understanding glutamate signalling in roots, considering them in the context of previous work in plants and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian G Forde
- Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
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12
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Jones DL, Clode PL, Kilburn MR, Stockdale EA, Murphy DV. Competition between plant and bacterial cells at the microscale regulates the dynamics of nitrogen acquisition in wheat (Triticum aestivum). THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2013; 200:796-807. [PMID: 23845035 PMCID: PMC3916831 DOI: 10.1111/nph.12405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2013] [Accepted: 06/09/2013] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The ability of plants to compete effectively for nitrogen (N) resources is critical to plant survival. However, controversy surrounds the importance of organic and inorganic sources of N in plant nutrition because of our poor ability to visualize and understand processes happening at the root-microbial-soil interface. Using high-resolution nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry stable isotope imaging (NanoSIMS-SII), we quantified the fate of ¹⁵N over both space and time within the rhizosphere. We pulse-labelled the soil surrounding wheat (Triticum aestivum) roots with either ¹⁵NH₄⁺ or ¹⁵N-glutamate and traced the movement of ¹⁵N over 24 h. Imaging revealed that glutamate was rapidly depleted from the rhizosphere and that most ¹⁵N was captured by rhizobacteria, leading to very high ¹⁵N microbial enrichment. After microbial capture, approximately half of the ¹⁵N-glutamate was rapidly mineralized, leading to the excretion of NH₄⁺, which became available for plant capture. Roots proved to be poor competitors for ¹⁵N-glutamate and took up N mainly as ¹⁵NH₄⁺. Spatial mapping of ¹⁵N revealed differential patterns of ¹⁵N uptake within bacteria and the rapid uptake and redistribution of ¹⁵N within roots. In conclusion, we demonstrate the rapid cycling and transformation of N at the soil-root interface and that wheat capture of organic N is low in comparison to inorganic N under the conditions tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L Jones
- Environment Centre Wales, Bangor UniversityGwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Peta L Clode
- Centre for Microscopy Characterisation and Analysis, University of Western AustraliaCrawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Matt R Kilburn
- Centre for Microscopy Characterisation and Analysis, University of Western AustraliaCrawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Elizabeth A Stockdale
- School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Newcastle UniversityNewcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Daniel V Murphy
- Soil Biology and Molecular Ecology Group School of Earth and Environment, Institute of Agriculture, University of Western AustraliaCrawley, WA, 6009, Australia
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13
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Hill PW, Marsden KA, Jones DL. How significant to plant N nutrition is the direct consumption of soil microbes by roots? THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2013; 199:948-955. [PMID: 23718181 PMCID: PMC3838624 DOI: 10.1111/nph.12320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2013] [Accepted: 04/07/2013] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The high degree to which plant roots compete with soil microbes for organic forms of nitrogen (N) is becoming increasingly apparent. This has culminated in the finding that plants may consume soil microbes as a source of N, but the functional significance of this process remains unknown. We used (15) N- and (14) C-labelled cultures of soil bacteria to measure rates of acquisition of microbes by sterile wheat roots and plants growing in soil. We compared these rates with acquisition of (15) N delivered as nitrate, amino acid monomer (l-alanine) and short peptide (l-tetraalanine), and the rate of decomposition of [(14) C] microbes by indigenous soil microbiota. Acquisition of microbe (15) N by both sterile roots and roots growing in soil was one to two orders of magnitude slower than acquisition of all other forms of (15) N. Decomposition of microbes was fast enough to account for all (15) N recovered, but approximately equal recovery of microbe (14) C suggests that microbes entered roots intact. Uptake of soil microbes by wheat (Triticum aestivum) roots appears to take place in soil. If wheat is typical, the importance of this process to terrestrial N cycling is probably minor in comparison with fluxes of other forms of soil inorganic and organic N.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul W Hill
- School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography, Bangor UniversityBangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Karina A Marsden
- School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography, Bangor UniversityBangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Davey L Jones
- School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography, Bangor UniversityBangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK
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14
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Schmidt S, Raven JA, Paungfoo-Lonhienne C. The mixotrophic nature of photosynthetic plants. FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY : FPB 2013; 40:425-438. [PMID: 32481119 DOI: 10.1071/fp13061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2013] [Accepted: 03/22/2013] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Plants typically have photosynthetically competent green shoots. To complement resources derived from the atmospheric environment, plants also acquire essential elements from soil. Inorganic ions and molecules are generally considered to be the sources of soil-derived nutrients, and plants tested in this respect can grow with only inorganic nutrients and so can live as autotrophs. However, mycorrhizal symbionts are known to access nutrients from organic matter. Furthermore, specialist lineages of terrestrial photosynthetically competent plants are mixotrophic, including species that obtain organic nutrition from animal prey (carnivores), fungal partners (mycoheterotrophs) or plant hosts (hemi-parasites). Although mixotrophy is deemed the exception in terrestrial plants, it is a common mode of nutrition in aquatic algae. There is mounting evidence that non-specialist plants acquire organic compounds as sources of nutrients, taking up and metabolising a range of organic monomers, oligomers, polymers and even microbes as sources of nitrogen and phosphorus. Plasma-membrane located transporter proteins facilitate the uptake of low-molecular mass organic compounds, endo- and phagocytosis may enable the acquisition of larger compounds, although this has not been confirmed. Identifying the mechanisms involved in the acquisition of organic nutrients will provide understanding of the ecological significance of mixotrophy. Here, we discuss mixotrophy in the context of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrition drawing parallels between algae and plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Schmidt
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia
| | - John A Raven
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Dundee at the James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK
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15
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Farrell M, Hill PW, Farrar J, DeLuca TH, Roberts P, Kielland K, Dahlgren R, Murphy DV, Hobbs PJ, Bardgett RD, Jones DL. Oligopeptides Represent a Preferred Source of Organic N Uptake: A Global Phenomenon? Ecosystems 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-012-9601-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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16
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Vinall K, Schmidt S, Brackin R, Lakshmanan P, Robinson N. Amino acids are a nitrogen source for sugarcane. FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY : FPB 2012; 39:503-511. [PMID: 32480801 DOI: 10.1071/fp12042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2012] [Accepted: 04/16/2012] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Organic forms of nitrogen (ON) represent potential N sources for crops and an alternative to inorganic N (IN, ammonium nitrate). Sugarcane soils receive organic harvest residues (~40-100kg ON ha-1), but it is unknown whether ON is a direct N source for crops. We investigated whether sugarcane can use organic monomers in the form of amino acids and whether the use of amino acids as a N source results in distinct metabolic or morphological change when compared with use of inorganic N (IN). Plantlets cultivated in sterile culture and young plants grown in non-sterile soil culture were supplied with IN, ON (five amino acids present in sugarcane soils), or combined IN and ON. All treatments resulted in similar biomass and N content indicating that sugarcane has a well developed capacity to use ON and confirms findings in other species. ON-supplied plants in axenic culture had increased total branch root length per unit primary root axis which has not been reported previously. In both experimental systems, ON supplied plants had increased asparagine concentrations suggesting altered N metabolism. Root of ON-supplied soil-grown plants had significantly reduced nitrate concentrations. We interpret the shift from nitrate to asparagine as indicative of N form use other than or in addition to nitrate by sugarcane. N metabolite profiling could advance knowledge of crop N sources and this will aid in development of N efficient cropping systems with a reduced N pollution footprint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry Vinall
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Susanne Schmidt
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Richard Brackin
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
| | | | - Nicole Robinson
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
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