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Zhang S, Xu L, Zheng Q, Hu J, Jiang D, Dai T, Tian Z. The tetraploid wheat (Triticum dicoccum (Schrank) Schuebl.) improves nitrogen uptake and assimilation adaptation to nitrogen-deficit stress. PLANTA 2024; 259:151. [PMID: 38733553 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-024-04432-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION The genetic diversity in tetraploid wheat provides a genetic pool for improving wheat productivity and environmental resilience. The tetraploid wheat had strong N uptake, translocation, and assimilation capacity under N deficit stress, thus alleviating growth inhibition and plant N loss to maintain healthy development and adapt to environments with low N inputs. Tetraploid wheat with a rich genetic variability provides an indispensable genetic pool for improving wheat yield. Mining the physiological mechanisms of tetraploid wheat in response to nitrogen (N) deficit stress is important for low-N-tolerant wheat breeding. In this study, we selected emmer wheat (Kronos, tetraploid), Yangmai 25 (YM25, hexaploid), and Chinese spring (CS, hexaploid) as materials. We investigated the differences in the response of root morphology, leaf and root N accumulation, N uptake, translocation, and assimilation-related enzymes and gene expression in wheat seedlings of different ploidy under N deficit stress through hydroponic experiments. The tetraploid wheat (Kronos) had stronger adaptability to N deficit stress than the hexaploid wheats (YM25, CS). Kronos had better root growth under low N stress, expanding the N uptake area and enhancing N uptake to maintain higher NO3- and soluble protein contents. Kronos exhibited high TaNRT1.1, TaNRT2.1, and TaNRT2.2 expression in roots, which promoted NO3- uptake, and high TaNRT1.5 and TaNRT1.8 expression in roots and leaves enhanced NO3- translocation to the aboveground. NR and GS activity in roots and leaves of Kronos was higher by increasing the expression of TANIA2, TAGS1, and TAGS2, which enhanced the reduction and assimilation of NO3- as well as the re-assimilation of photorespiratory-released NH4+. Overall, Kronos had strong N uptake, translocation, and assimilation capacity under N deficit stress, alleviating growth inhibition and plant N loss and thus maintaining a healthy development. This study reveals the physiological mechanisms of tetraploid wheat that improve nitrogen uptake and assimilation adaptation under low N stress, which will provide indispensable germplasm resources for elite low-N-tolerant wheat improvement and breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology Ecology and Production Management of Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Libing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology Ecology and Production Management of Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiaomei Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology Ecology and Production Management of Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinling Hu
- Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology Ecology and Production Management of Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology Ecology and Production Management of Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Tingbo Dai
- Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology Ecology and Production Management of Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhongwei Tian
- Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology Ecology and Production Management of Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
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Shi K, Liu J, Liang H, Dong H, Zhang J, Wei Y, Zhou L, Wang S, Zhu J, Cao M, Jones CS, Ma D, Wang Z. An alfalfa MYB-like transcriptional factor MsMYBH positively regulates alfalfa seedling drought resistance and undergoes MsWAV3-mediated degradation. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 66:683-699. [PMID: 38358036 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Drought is a major threat to alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) production. The discovery of important alfalfa genes regulating drought response will facilitate breeding for drought-resistant alfalfa cultivars. Here, we report a genome-wide association study of drought resistance in alfalfa. We identified and functionally characterized an MYB-like transcription factor gene (MsMYBH), which increases the drought resistance in alfalfa. Compared with the wild-types, the biomass and forage quality were enhanced in MsMYBH overexpressed plants. Combined RNA-seq, proteomics and chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that MsMYBH can directly bind to the promoters of MsMCP1, MsMCP2, MsPRX1A and MsCARCAB to improve their expression. The outcomes of such interactions include better water balance, high photosynthetic efficiency and scavenge excess H2O2 in response to drought. Furthermore, an E3 ubiquitin ligase (MsWAV3) was found to induce MsMYBH degradation under long-term drought, via the 26S proteasome pathway. Furthermore, variable-number tandem repeats in MsMYBH promoter were characterized among a collection of germplasms, and the variation is associated with promoter activity. Collectively, our findings shed light on the functions of MsMYBH and provide a pivotal gene that could be leveraged for breeding drought-resistant alfalfa. This discovery also offers new insights into the mechanisms of drought resistance in alfalfa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Shi
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jia Liu
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Huan Liang
- Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Hongbin Dong
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jinli Zhang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yuanhong Wei
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Le Zhou
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Shaopeng Wang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jiahao Zhu
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Mingshu Cao
- AgResearch Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - Chris S Jones
- International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya
| | - Dongmei Ma
- School of Ecology and Environment, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, China
| | - Zan Wang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
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Lu Y, Gao L, Hu J, Liu X, Jiang D, Cao W, Dai T, Tian Z. Low nitrogen priming improves nitrogen uptake and assimilation adaptation to nitrogen deficit stress in wheat seedling. PLANTA 2024; 259:107. [PMID: 38554244 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-024-04385-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION Early-stage low nitrogen priming promotes root growth and delays leaf senescence through gene expression, enhancing nitrogen absorption and assimilation in wheat seedlings, thereby alleviating growth inhibition under nitrogen deficit stress and supporting normal seedling development. Verifying the strategies to reduce the amount of nitrogen (N) fertilizer while maintaining high crop yields is important for improving crop N use efficiency (NUE) and protecting the environment. To determine whether low N (LN) priming (LNP) can alleviate the impact of N-deficit stress on the growth of wheat seedlings and improve their tolerance to N-deficit stress, we conducted hydroponic experiments using two wheat cultivars, Yangmai 158 (YM158, LN tolerant) and Zaoyangmai (ZYM, LN sensitive) to study the effects of LNP on wheat seedlings under N-deficit stress. N-deficit stress decreased the plant dry weight, leaf area, and leaf N content (LNC), while LNP could significantly reduce this reduction. Distinct sensitivities to N-deficit stress were observed between the wheat cultivars, with ZYM showing an early decrease in leaf N content compared to YM158, which exhibited a late-stage reduction. LNP promoted root growth, expanded N uptake area, and upregulated the expression of TaNRT1.1, TaNRT2.1, and TaNRT2.2 in wheat seedlings, suggesting that LNP can enhance root N uptake capacity to increase N accumulation in plants. In addition, LNP improved the activity of glutamine synthase (GS) to enhance the capacity of N assimilation of plants. The relative expression of TaGS1 in the lower leaves of priming and stress (PS) was lower than that of no priming and stress (NS) after LNP, indicating that the rate of N transfer from the lower leaves to the upper leaves became slower after LNP, which alleviated the senescence of the lower leaves. The relative expression of TaGS2 was significantly increased, which might be related to the enhanced photorespiratory ammonia assimilation capacity after LNP, which reduced the N loss and maintained higher LNC. Therefore, LNP in the early stage can improve the N absorption and assimilation ability and maintain the normal N supply to alleviate the inhibition of N-deficit stress in wheat seedlings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhua Lu
- Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology Ecology and Production Management of Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Lijun Gao
- Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology Ecology and Production Management of Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinling Hu
- Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology Ecology and Production Management of Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoxue Liu
- Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology Ecology and Production Management of Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology Ecology and Production Management of Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Weixing Cao
- Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology Ecology and Production Management of Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Tingbo Dai
- Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology Ecology and Production Management of Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhongwei Tian
- Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology Ecology and Production Management of Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
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Sharma N, Jaiswal DK, Kumari S, Dash GK, Panda S, Anandan A, Raghuram N. Genome-Wide Urea Response in Rice Genotypes Contrasting for Nitrogen Use Efficiency. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076080. [PMID: 37047052 PMCID: PMC10093866 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Rice is an ideal crop for improvement of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), especially with urea, its predominant fertilizer. There is a paucity of studies on rice genotypes contrasting for NUE. We compared low urea-responsive transcriptomes of contrasting rice genotypes, namely Nidhi (low NUE) and Panvel1 (high NUE). Transcriptomes of whole plants grown with media containing normal (15 mM) and low urea (1.5 mM) revealed 1497 and 2819 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in Nidhi and Panvel1, respectively, of which 271 were common. Though 1226 DEGs were genotype-specific in Nidhi and 2548 in Panvel1, there was far higher commonality in underlying processes. High NUE is associated with the urea-responsive regulation of other nutrient transporters, miRNAs, transcription factors (TFs) and better photosynthesis, water use efficiency and post-translational modifications. Many of their genes co-localized to NUE-QTLs on chromosomes 1, 3 and 9. A field evaluation under different doses of urea revealed better agronomic performance including grain yield, transport/uptake efficiencies and NUE of Panvel1. Comparison of our urea-based transcriptomes with our previous nitrate-based transcriptomes revealed many common processes despite large differences in their expression profiles. Our model proposes that differential involvement of transporters and TFs, among others, contributes to better urea uptake, translocation, utilization, flower development and yield for high NUE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narendra Sharma
- Centre for Sustainable Nitrogen and Nutrient Management, University School of Biotechnology, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Sector 16C, Dwarka, New Delhi 110078, India
| | - Dinesh Kumar Jaiswal
- Centre for Sustainable Nitrogen and Nutrient Management, University School of Biotechnology, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Sector 16C, Dwarka, New Delhi 110078, India
| | - Supriya Kumari
- Centre for Sustainable Nitrogen and Nutrient Management, University School of Biotechnology, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Sector 16C, Dwarka, New Delhi 110078, India
| | - Goutam Kumar Dash
- Crop Improvement Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-National Rice Research Institute (NRRI), Cuttack 753006, India
| | - Siddharth Panda
- Crop Improvement Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-National Rice Research Institute (NRRI), Cuttack 753006, India
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, SOA (DU), Bhubaneswar 751003, India
| | - Annamalai Anandan
- Crop Improvement Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-National Rice Research Institute (NRRI), Cuttack 753006, India
- Regional Station, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Indian Institute of Seed Science, Bengaluru 560065, India
| | - Nandula Raghuram
- Centre for Sustainable Nitrogen and Nutrient Management, University School of Biotechnology, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Sector 16C, Dwarka, New Delhi 110078, India
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Nazir F, Mahajan M, Khatoon S, Albaqami M, Ashfaque F, Chhillar H, Chopra P, Khan MIR. Sustaining nitrogen dynamics: A critical aspect for improving salt tolerance in plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1087946. [PMID: 36909406 PMCID: PMC9996754 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1087946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
In the current changing environment, salt stress has become a major concern for plant growth and food production worldwide. Understanding the mechanisms of how plants function in saline environments is critical for initiating efforts to mitigate the detrimental effects of salt stress. Agricultural productivity is linked to nutrient availability, and it is expected that the judicious metabolism of mineral nutrients has a positive impact on alleviating salt-induced losses in crop plants. Nitrogen (N) is a macronutrient that contributes significantly to sustainable agriculture by maintaining productivity and plant growth in both optimal and stressful environments. Significant progress has been made in comprehending the fundamental physiological and molecular mechanisms associated with N-mediated plant responses to salt stress. This review provided an (a) overview of N-sensing, transportation, and assimilation in plants; (b) assess the salt stress-mediated regulation of N dynamics and nitrogen use- efficiency; (c) critically appraise the role of N in plants exposed to salt stress. Furthermore, the existing but less explored crosstalk between N and phytohormones has been discussed that may be utilized to gain a better understanding of plant adaptive responses to salt stress. In addition, the shade of a small beam of light on the manipulation of N dynamics through genetic engineering with an aim of developing salt-tolerant plants is also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faroza Nazir
- Department of Botany, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - Moksh Mahajan
- Department of Botany, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Mohammed Albaqami
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Farha Ashfaque
- Department of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
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6
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Aluko OO, Kant S, Adedire OM, Li C, Yuan G, Liu H, Wang Q. Unlocking the potentials of nitrate transporters at improving plant nitrogen use efficiency. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1074839. [PMID: 36895876 PMCID: PMC9989036 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1074839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Nitrate ( NO 3 - ) transporters have been identified as the primary targets involved in plant nitrogen (N) uptake, transport, assimilation, and remobilization, all of which are key determinants of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). However, less attention has been directed toward the influence of plant nutrients and environmental cues on the expression and activities of NO 3 - transporters. To better understand how these transporters function in improving plant NUE, this review critically examined the roles of NO 3 - transporters in N uptake, transport, and distribution processes. It also described their influence on crop productivity and NUE, especially when co-expressed with other transcription factors, and discussed these transporters' functional roles in helping plants cope with adverse environmental conditions. We equally established the possible impacts of NO 3 - transporters on the uptake and utilization efficiency of other plant nutrients while suggesting possible strategic approaches to improving NUE in plants. Understanding the specificity of these determinants is crucial to achieving better N utilization efficiency in crops within a given environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwaseun Olayemi Aluko
- Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Surya Kant
- Agriculture Victoria, Grains Innovation Park, Horsham, VIC, Australia
- School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Chuanzong Li
- Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guang Yuan
- Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haobao Liu
- Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, China
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Zhang M, Lai L, Liu X, Liu J, Liu R, Wang Y, Liu J, Chen J. Overexpression of Nitrate Transporter 1/Peptide Gene OsNPF7.6 Increases Rice Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12121981. [PMID: 36556346 PMCID: PMC9786031 DOI: 10.3390/life12121981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Overuse of nitrogen fertilizer in fields has raised production costs, and caused environmental problems. Improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of rice is essential for sustainable agriculture. Here we report the cloning, characterization and roles for rice of OsNPF7.6, a member of the nitrate transporter 1/peptide transporter family (NPF). The OsNPF7.6 protein is located in the plasma membrane, expressed in each tissue at all stages and is significantly regulated by nitrate in rice. Our study shows that the overexpression of OsNPF7.6 can increase the nitrate uptake rate of rice. Additionally, field experiments showed that OsNPF7.6 overexpression increased the total tiller number per plant and the grain weight per panicle, thereby improving grain yield and agronomic NUE in rice. Thus, OsNPF7.6 can be applied to be a novel target gene for breeding rice varieties with high NUE, and provide a reference for breeding higher yielding rice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Liuru Lai
- School of Agriculture, Shenzhen Campus, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Xintong Liu
- School of Agriculture, Shenzhen Campus, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Jiajia Liu
- Shandong Jinchunyu Seed Technology Co., Ltd., Jining 272200, China
| | - Ruifang Liu
- The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, Shenzhen 518119, China
| | - Yamei Wang
- School of Agriculture, Shenzhen Campus, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Jindong Liu
- Institute of Crop Sciences, National Wheat Improvement Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing 100081, China
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
- Correspondence: (J.L.); (J.C.)
| | - Jingguang Chen
- School of Agriculture, Shenzhen Campus, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
- Correspondence: (J.L.); (J.C.)
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8
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Identification and Expression Analysis of the NPF Genes in Cotton. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232214262. [PMID: 36430741 PMCID: PMC9692789 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The NPF (NITRATE TRANSPORTER 1/PEPTIDE TRANSPORTER FAMILY) transports various substrates, including nitrogen (N), which is essential for plant growth and development. Although many NPF homologs have been identified in various plants, limited studies on these proteins have been reported in cotton. This study identified 75, 71, and 150 NPF genes in Gossypium arboreum, G. raimondii, and G. hirsutum, respectively, via genome-wide analyses. The phylogenetic tree indicated that cotton NPF genes are subdivided into eight subgroups, closely clustered with Arabidopsis orthologues. The chromosomal location, gene structure, motif compositions, and cis-elements have been displayed. Moreover, the collinearity analysis showed that whole-genome duplication event has played an important role in the expansion and diversification of the NPF gene family in cotton. According to the transcriptome and qRT-PCR analyses, several GhNPFs were induced by the nitrogen deficiency treatment. Additional functional experiments revealed that virus-induced silencing (VIGS) of the GhNPF6.14 gene affects the growth and N absorption and accumulation in cotton. Thus, this study lays the foundation for further functional characterization of NPF genes in cotton.
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