Sulfur Regulates the Trade-Off Between Growth and Andrographolide Accumulation via Nitrogen Metabolism in Andrographis paniculata

Abstract

Nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) are essential mineral nutrients for plant growth and metabolism. Here, we investigated their interaction in plant growth and andrographolide accumulation in medicinal plant Andrographis paniculata grown at different N (4 and 8 mmol·L−1) and S concentration levels (0.1 and 2.4 mmol L−1). We found that increasing the S application rate enhanced the accumulation of andrographolide compounds (AGCs) in A. paniculata. Simultaneously, salicylic acid (SA) and gibberellic acid 4 (GA4) concentrations were increased but trehalose/trehalose 6-phosphate (Tre/Tre6P) concentrations were decreased by high S, suggesting that they were involved in the S-mediated accumulation of AGCs. However, S affected plant growth differentially at different N levels. Metabolite analysis revealed that high S induced increases in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and photorespiration under low N conditions, which promoted N assimilation and S metabolism, and simultaneously increased carbohydrate consumption and inhibited plant growth. In contrast, high S reduced N and S concentrations in plants and promoted plant growth under high N conditions. Taken together, the results indicated that increasing the S application rate is an effective strategy to improve AGC accumulation in A. paniculata. Nevertheless, the interaction of N and S affected the trade-off between plant growth and AGC accumulation, in which N metabolism plays a key role.

Editorial: Nutrient Interactions in Plants

“…The perspective article is devoted to describing new approaches based on computational analysis to predict interactions between proteins related to different elements (Di Silvestre et al). Finally, within the 13 original research articles; eight of them are about the interactions between two or three elements, including non-essential ones, such as Fe-Cu, Si-Fe, Fe-P-S, S-N, Fe-Zn, K-Na, or P-Zn (Bernal and Kramer, 2021;Jian et al, 2021;Kakei et al, 2021;Li et al, 2021;Chaiwong et al;García et For instance, P deficiency, through organic acid release and rhizosphere acidification, can promote the mobilization of other nutrients, like Fe or Zn (Pueyo et al, 2021). In the same way, Si application can promote N and P acquisition by upregulating nitrate and phosphate transporters (Pavlovic et al, 2021).…”

“…The perspective article is devoted to describing new approaches based on computational analysis to predict interactions between proteins related to different elements ( Di Silvestre et al ). Finally, within the 13 original research articles; eight of them are about the interactions between two or three elements, including non-essential ones, such as Fe-Cu, Si-Fe, Fe-P-S, S-N, Fe-Zn, K-Na, or P-Zn (Bernal and Kramer, 2021 ; Jian et al, 2021 ; Kakei et al, 2021 ; Li et al, 2021 ; Chaiwong et al ; García et al ; Suman et al ; Yu et al ); four of them are about the interactions among many nutrients, such as ionome-macronutrients, ionome-micronutrients, ionome-N ( Courbet et al ; D'Oria et al ; Zhang C. et al ; Zhang J. et al ); and one is devoted to the substitution of K by Na ( Mateus et al ).…”

“…The articles included in this Research Topic reflect indirect interactions between nutrients, such as those simultaneously analyzing many nutrients ( Courbet et al ; D'Oria et al ; Zhang C. et al ; Zhang J. et al ), and also direct interactions, like those studying the interplay between 2 and 3 elements (Bernal and Kramer, 2021 ; Jian et al, 2021 ; Kakei et al, 2021 ; Li et al, 2021 ; Chaiwong et al ; García et al ; Mateus et al ; Suman et al ; Yu et al ). The depicted interactions occur at different steps of nutrient acquisition and translocation inside the plant.…”

“…For instance, Si upregulates nitrate and phosphate transporters when plants are grown under limiting N and P conditions but downregulates them when grown under sufficient N and P conditions (Pavlovic et al, 2021 ). Besides nutrition, interactions between nutrients can affect other processes, like the accumulation of secondary metabolites (Jian et al, 2021 ). It is important to note the interest of the interactions between essential and non-essential elements, since non-essential elements, like Na, can partially substitute for essential ones, like K ( Mateus et al ).…”

Optimizing Nitrogen Nutrient Management for the Sustainable Enhancement of Secondary Metabolites and Yield in Onion Cultivation

“…Nitrogen and sulfur, two essential nutrients for plant growth and development, play pivotal roles in shaping the metabolic pathways responsible for secondary metabolite production [14,15]. The intricate relationship between these fertilizers and the biochemical processes within the onion plants underscores the need for targeted investigations to optimize their application for enhanced nutritional content [16,17].…”