Modulating plant growth–metabolism coordination for sustainable agriculture

et al. 2020

Preprint

Nitrogen (N) is indispensable for crop growth and yield, but excessive agricultural application of nitrogenous fertilizers has generated severe environmental problems. A desirable and economical solution to cope with these issues is to improve crop nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Plant NUE has been a focal point of intensive research worldwide, yet much more has to be learned about its genetic determinants and regulation. Here, we show that rice NIN-LIKE PROTEIN 1 (OsNLP1) plays a fundamental role in N utilization. OsNLP1 protein localizes in nucleus and its transcript level is rapidly induced by N starvation. Overexpression of OsNLP1 improves plant growth, grain yield and NUE under different N conditions while knockout of OsNLP1 impairs grain yield and NUE under N limiting conditions. OsNLP1 regulates nitrate and ammonium utilization by cooperatively orchestrating multiple N uptake and assimilation genes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and yeast-one-hybrid assays show that OsNLP1 can directly bind to the promoter of these genes to activate their expression. Therefore, our results demonstrate that OsNLP1 is a key regulator of N utilization and represents a potential target for improving NUE and yield in rice.One-sentence summaryOsNLP1 rapidly responds to N availability, enhances N uptake and assimilation, and holds great potential in promoting high yield in rice.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

RiceNIN-LIKE PROTEIN 1Rapidly Responds to Nitrogen Deficiency and Improves Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency

Alfatih

et al. 2020

Preprint

“…For example, compared with NRT1.1B- japonica , NRT1.1B- indica with a single amino acid substitution, results in increased nitrate uptake, root-to-shoot transport and expression of nitrate-responsive genes, and a consequent increase in grain yield and NUE (Hu et al, 2015). Antagonistically working with DELLA, OsGRF4 boost rice yield and NUE by promoting and integrating N assimilation, carbon fixation and growth (Li et al, 2018). In addition, transgenic rice plants overexpressing the OsENOD93-1 gene improve NUE with increased shoot dry biomass and seed yield (Bi et al, 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nitrogen (N) is an essential macronutrient for the growth, development and production of plants (Crawford and Forde, 2002). Utilizable N resources in soil are very limited and therefore N fertilizer has been widely used to maintain high yield of crops in agriculture (Li et al, 2018; Lian et al, 2005). However, only a small fraction of the applied N is absorbed by plants, and a large portion is lost to the environment, causing serious environmental pollution (Garnett et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, other genes have been reported to affect N metabolism in plants, such as dense and erect panicle1 (DEP1), which interacts in vivo with both the Gα (RGA1) and Gβ (RGB1) subunits of the heterotrimeric G protein, and reduced RGA1 or enhanced RGB1 activity inhibits N responses (Huang et al, 2009; Sun et al, 2014). The balanced opposing activities and physical interactions of the rice growth-regulating factor 4 (OsGRF4) transcription factor and the growth inhibitor DELLA confer homeostatic co-regulation of growth and the metabolism of carbon (C) and N (Li et al, 2018). The indica OsNR2 allele has superior grain yield and NUE than the japonica allele, in part via feed-forward interaction with OsNRT1 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rice NIN-LIKE PROTEIN 4 is a master regulator of nitrogen use efficiency

Xia

et al. 2020

Preprint

1Nitrogen (N) is one of the key essential macronutrients that affects rice growth 3 2 and yield. Inorganic N fertilizers are excessively used to boost yield and generate 3 3 serious collateral environmental pollution. Therefore, improving crop N use 3 4 efficiency (NUE) is highly desirable and has been a major endeavor in crop 3 5 improvement. However, only a few regulators have been identified that can be used to 3 6 improve NUE in rice to date. Here we show that the NIN-like protein OsNLP4 3 7 significantly improves the rice NUE and yield. Field trials consistently showed that 3 8 loss-of-OsNLP4 dramatically reduced yield and NUE compared with wild type under 3 9 different N regimes. In contrast, the OsNLP4 overexpression lines remarkably 4 0 increased yield by 30% and NUE by 47% under moderate N level compared with wild 4 1 type. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that OsNLP4 orchestrates the expression of a 4 2 majority of known N uptake, assimilation and signaling genes by directly binding to 4 3 the nitrate-responsive cis-element in their promoters to regulate their expression. 4 4 Moreover, overexpression of OsNLP4 can recover the phenotype of Arabidopsis nlp7 4 5 mutant and enhance its biomass. Our results demonstrate that OsNLP4 is a master 4 6 regulator of NUE in rice and sheds light on crop NUE improvement. 4 7 4 8

“…GROWTH-REGULATING-FACTOR ( GRF ) family genes encode plant-specific transcriptional factors, which are shown to bind DNA with a TGTCAGG cis -element to repress or activate the expression of their target genes 15,16 . GRF5 is confirmed as a key regulator of leaf growth and photosynthetic efficiency by enhancing cell division and chloroplast division, with concomitant increases in leaf size, longevity and photosynthesis 17 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

FT/FD-GRF5 repression loop directs growth to increase soybean yield

et al. 2018

Preprint

28Major advances in crop yield are eternally needed to cope with population growth. To 29 balance vegetative and reproductive growth plays an important role in agricultural yield. 30To extend vegetative phase can increase crop yield, however, this strategy risks loss of 31 yield in the field as crops may not mature in time before winter come. Here, we identified 32 a repression feedback loop between GmFTL/GmFDL and GmGRF5-1 (Glycine-max-33 Flowering-Locus-T/Glycine-max-FDL and Glycine-max-GROWTH-REGULATING-34 FACTOR5-1), which functions as a pivotal regulator in balancing vegetative and 35 reproductive phases in soybean. GmFTL/GmFDL and GmGRF5-1 directly repress gene 36 expression each other. Additionally, GmGRF5-1 enhances vegetative growth by directly 37 enhancing expression of photosynthesis-and auxin synthesis-related genes. To 38 modulate the loop, such as fine-tuning GmFTL expression to trade-off vegetative and 39 reproductive growth, increases substantially soybean yield in the field. Our findings not 40 only uncover the mechanism balancing vegetative and reproductive growth, but open a 41 new window to improve crop yield. 42 43 48vegetative growth is closely related to reproductive growth. A long vegetative phase means 49 later flowering, larger and more vegetative organs (such as leaves and roots), that results in 50 high yield because it provides the plenty source for yield formation. However, crops in the 51 field may not mature normally before winter and lose the yield if the vegetative phase is too 52 long 4 . Balancing vegetative and reproductive growth will achieve high yield in a normal growth 53 season. 54 55 3 The transition from the vegetative to reproductive phase is regulated by a complex genetic 56 network that monitors and integrates both the plant developmental and environmental signals, 57 resulting in production of florigen Flowering Locus T (FT) 5,6 . The lower the florigen production, 58 the later the flowering and the higher the yield, and vice versa 3 . The FT dosage plays a key 59 role in the yield of tomato 7 and rice 8 . Not only function on flowering control, FT homologs also 60 contribute to the regulation of vegetative growth, such as tuberisation 9 , onion bulb formation 10 61 and sugar beet growth 11 . FT coordinates reproductive and vegetative growth in perennial 62 poplar 12 . Recently, FT was reported to regulate seed dormancy through Flowering Locus C 13 . 63FT, together with FD negatively correlates with leaf size as its overexpression leads to smaller 64 leaves and reduced expression leads to increased leaf size 6,14 . But, the mechanism of FT in 65 regulating the development and function of leaves is still uncovered. 66 67 GROWTH-REGULATING-FACTOR (GRF) family genes encode plant-specific transcriptional 68 factors, which are shown to bind DNA with a TGTCAGG cis-element to repress or activate the 69 expression of their target genes 15,16 . GRF5 is confirmed as a key regulator of leaf growth and 70 photosynthetic efficiency by enhancing cell division and chloroplast divi...