A silicon transporter in rice

Abstract

Silicon is beneficial to plant growth and helps plants to overcome abiotic and biotic stresses by preventing lodging (falling over) and increasing resistance to pests and diseases, as well as other stresses. Silicon is essential for high and sustainable production of rice, but the molecular mechanism responsible for the uptake of silicon is unknown. Here we describe the Low silicon rice 1 (Lsi1) gene, which controls silicon accumulation in rice, a typical silicon-accumulating plant. This gene belongs to the aquaporin family and is constitutively expressed in the roots. Lsi1 is localized on the plasma membrane of the distal side of both exodermis and endodermis cells, where casparian strips are located. Suppression of Lsi1 expression resulted in reduced silicon uptake. Furthermore, expression of Lsi1 in Xenopus oocytes showed transport activity for silicon only. The identification of a silicon transporter provides both an insight into the silicon uptake system in plants, and a new strategy for producing crops with high resistance to multiple stresses by genetic modification of the root's silicon uptake capacity.

Boron toxicity tolerance in wheat and barley: Australian perspectives

“…The rice gene Lsi1 was identified using a rice mutant defective in silicon (Si) uptake (Ma et al 2006). Lsi1 belongs to the Nod26-like intrinsic protein (NIP) subfamily of aquaporins.…”

Identifying crop plants with phytoliths (and starch grains) in Central and South America: A review and an update of the evidence

“…Massey and Hartley (2006) demonstrated that silica in grasses not only deterred feeding by field voles, but also inhibited the growth rates of the voles by decreasing nitrogen absorption from foliage. Ma et al (2006), working with rice, identified for the first time in a higher plant a silicon transporter gene, called Lsil, that controls silica uptake. Work of this kind is the final link in establishing a molecular basis for silica uptake and for the significant variability in the amounts of phytoliths that different taxa ultimately make.…”

Arabidopsis thaliana NIP7;1 is involved in tissue arsenic distribution and tolerance in response to arsenate

“…Members of the NIP (nodulin-26-like intrinsic proteins) and PIP (plasma membrane intrinsic proteins) subfamilies of aquaporins have been shown to facilitate AsIII transport in plants in Abbreviations NIPs, nodulin-26-like intrinsic proteins; RGR, relative growth rate; WT, wild-type. addition to transporting essential nutrients such as silicon and boron [7][8][9][10][11][12][13].…”