Effects of organic fertilizer applications on starch changes in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacumL.) leaves during maturation

Abstract

Starch is a major feedstock for biofuel production. To meet growing fuel demands, the starch yields of energy crops need to be improved. In this study, the effects of the application of an organic fertilizer composed of cotton cake, oil cake and wheat straw at different concentrations (3000, 6000 and 9000 kg ha −1 ) were investigated in order to optimize the yield of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) leaves. To analyze the effects of the application of organic fertilizers on starch biosynthesis, we compared the phenotypic index, starch content, ultrastructure and starch granule volume during maturation. The results revealed that application of the organic fertilizer markedly promoted the accumulation of starch in tobacco leaves, and the concentration of organic fertilizer required for optimal yield in yellow loam areas was 6000 kg hm −2 . Analysis of starch synthesis-related gene expression patterns revealed that the transcript levels of adenosine diphosphate-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), starch synthase (SS) and starch branching enzyme (SBE) increased gradually as leaf growth progressed, attained a maximum value at the mature stage, and then declined as leaves progressed toward maturity and senescence. The expression levels of these genes were higher in plants treated with the organic fertilizer than in those grown under normal conditions. Notably, AGPS3, AGPSL, GBSS1 and SS1 were highly expressed, indicating that these genes play crucial roles in starch synthesis in leaf tissue. The results provide insights into the molecular regulation of starch biosynthesis in tobacco leaves. ARTICLE HISTORY

Physicochemical characterization of flours and rheological and textural changes of masa and tortillas obtained from maize fertilized with nejayote and ovine manure

“…Higher plants, like maize, synthesize and store starch in the form of granules in storage tissues such as seeds, and in a temporary form in leaves, roots, and stems (Keeling and Myers, 2010;Song et al, 2016). Little starch is accumulated during the 'cell division' or endosperm differentiation phase (~10 DPA), which defines the final cell number of the grain (Altenbach et al, 2003).…”

Leaf Development Monitoring and Early Detection of Water Deficiency by Low Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Relaxation in Nicotiana tabacum Plants

“…The absence of T 2 around 2 ms can be explained by lower starch content in young tobacco leaves, which were younger than the oilseed leaves studied. Indeed, Song et al [46] reported considerable variation in the amount of starch in leaves from young and mature tobacco plants. Using scanning electron microscopy, they observed that the volume of starch relative to the cell volume was less than 2% in leaves from the early mature plants (12th leaf rank at 70 DAS) and represented 15% in mature plants (at 100 DAS).…”

Topping and grafting affect the alkaloid content and gene expression patterns of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacumL.)

“…GO enrichment analysis indicated that topping would alter the expression of genes associated with starch metabolism and other biological processes. Starch content accounts for approximately 40% of the total dry weight of mature tobacco leaves (Song et al, 2016 ), and thus, the synthesis and conversion of starch are important factors in determining tobacco yields. Wang et al have reported that DEGs between topped and non‐topped tobacco are enriched in processes such as starch and sucrose metabolism (Wang et al, 2018 ).…”