Response of Soybean Root to Phosphorus Deficiency under Sucrose Feeding: Insight from Morphological and Metabolome Characterizations

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) is one the least available essential plant macronutrients in soils that is a major constraint on plant growth. Soybean (Glycine max L.) production is often limited due to low P availability. The better management of P deficiency requires improvement of soybean’s P use efficiency. Sugars are implicated in P starvation responses, and a complete understanding of the role of sucrose together with P in coordinating P starvation responses is missing in soybean. This study explored global metabolomic changes in previously screened low-P-tolerant (Liaodou, L13) and low-P-sensitive (Tiefeng 3, T3) soybean genotypes by liquid chromatography coupled mass spectrometry. We also studied the root morphological response to sucrose application (1%) in P-starved soybean genotypes against normal P supply. Root morphology in L13 genotype has significantly improved P starvation responses as compared to the T3 genotype. Exogenous sucrose application greatly affected root length, root volume, and root surface area in L13 genotype while low-P-sensitive genotype, i.e., T3, only responded by increasing number of lateral roots. Root : shoot ratio increased after sucrose treatment regardless of P conditions, in both genotypes. T3 showed a relatively higher number of differentially accumulated metabolites between P-starved and normal P conditions as compared to L13 genotype. Common metabolites accumulated under the influence of sucrose were 5-O-methylembelin, D-glucuronic acid, and N-acetyl-L-phenylalanine. We have discussed the possible roles of the pathways associated with these metabolites. The differentially accumulated metabolites between both genotypes under the influence of sucrose are also discussed. These results are important to further explore the role of sucrose in the observed pathways. Especially, our results are relevant to formulate strategies for improving P efficiency of soybean genotypes with different P efficiencies.

Proteome characterization of two contrasting soybean genotypes in response to different phosphorus treatments

“…Seeds of low-P-tolerant soybean genotype Liaodou 13 (L13) and low-P-sensitive genotype Tiefeng 3 (T3) previously studied by Yuxia et al (2004) and Yang et al (2020) were obtained from Shenyang Agricultural University. This research project began in 2004 with a screening of 220 soybean genotypes with different P efficiencies based on various P concentrations ( Yuxia et al 2004 ).…”

“…Hence, it is crucial to enhance crop P-utilization efficiency in order to sustainably obtain stable and high productivity. Soybean production is significantly limited by low-P availability in soils ( Yang et al 2020 ). In China, the negative balance between production and consumption is compensated by importing yearly approximately up to 10 × 10 7 tons of soybean ( National Bureau of Statistics of China 2018 ).…”

“…Although studies have been carried out to investigate the molecular responses of soybean to the shortage of P in soil ( Wang et al 2010 ; Sha et al 2016 ; O’Rourke et al 2020 ; Yang et al 2020 ), transcriptome and metabolome analyses were the focus of these studies. Proteins represent the actual functional molecules in the cell and are highly affected by abiotic stresses ( Ahmad et al 2016 ; Kosová et al 2018 ).…”

The Dynamic Responses of Oil Palm Leaf and Root Metabolome to Phosphorus Deficiency

“…Plant Pi-starvation response is a dynamic process and has a complex regulon that involves several genes responding to Pi-loss stimulus [ 9 , 10 ]. Pi is a vital component of nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, energy transfer molecules (ATP and ADP), and Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), implying that P has a central role in the molecular structures of major cellular molecules and, is indispensable for plant cell function [ 11 , 12 ]. When a plant is phosphate deficient, it minimizes Pi consumption [ 13 ] and utilizes Pi through the mobilization of P from different organs and cell compartments, and through the modification of metabolic processes and hydrolysis of various P-containing molecules, such as phospholipids, nucleic acids, and small phosphorylated metabolites [ 14 , 15 ], for the maintenance of cell metabolic homeostasis [ 16 , 17 ].…”

“…Recent studies on plant P-deficiency reported the abundance of di and trisaccharides in Stylosanthes roots and a significant reduction in the levels of phosphorylated metabolites like P-containing sugars, suggesting the enhancement of internal P utilization in low-Pi-stress stylo roots [ 26 ], in Lupin roots [ 27 ], and in maize [ 28 ]. Moreover, a significant increase in metabolites involved in ammonium metabolism was reported in maize leaf treated under low Pi [ 28 , 29 ] and also accumulation of metabolites under the influence of sucrose [ 11 ], and nitrogen-fixing bacteria in relation to P-deficiency [ 30 ].…”