Abstract
Nitrogen is a major limiting factor for crop productivity. The relationship between photosynthesis and nitrogen nutrition has been widely studied. However, the molecular response of leaf photosynthesis to low nitrogen supply in crops is less clear. In this study, RNA sequencing technology (RNA-Seq) was used to investigate the gene expressions related to photosynthesis in maize in response to low nitrogen supply. It was found that low nitrogen supply down-regulated the expression of genes involved in photosystem I (PSI) and photosystem II (PSII). Thus, low nitrogen supply down-regulated the expression of genes related to the antenna system, reduced light absorption, light transport, and electron transport. Correspondingly, the parameters related to chlorophyll fluorescence were very sensitive to nitrogen deficiency. Under low nitrogen supply, leaf chlorophyll content, actual quantum yield of PSII photochemistry, photochemical quenching, and electron transport rate, were reduced. However, the thermal diffusion and chlorophyll fluorescence were increased. RNA-Seq was used to analyze the genes involved in the response of leaf photosynthesis to low nitrogen supply in maize. These results highlight the possibility of utilizing chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and the related genes, as indicators for plant nitrogen nutrition. This could lead to the development of new tools to make precise nitrogen fertilizer recommendations and select nitrogen-efficient genotypes.
Highlights
Nitrogen (N) is a fundamental constituent of many cell components such as amino acids, proteins, cell walls, membranes and nucleic acids
For light energy to be stored by photosynthesis, it is channeled by a number of different processes including photochemistry, heat dissipation, and chlorophyll fluorescence [8]
In the present study, using an integrated approach including physiological analysis and RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), we aimed to explore the genes related to photosynthesis under nitrogen deficiency, especially those related to light reactions
Summary
Nitrogen (N) is a fundamental constituent of many cell components such as amino acids, proteins, cell walls, membranes and nucleic acids. Nitrogen deficiency reduces plant growth and development, photosynthesis, leaf area, and limits plant productivity [1,2,3,4]. For a sustainable crop production system, there is a requirement to reduce nitrogen fertilizer input, and increase nitrogen use efficiency. This may be achieved by understanding the relationship between N nutrition and the photosynthetic rate in the leaf [5,6]. For light energy to be stored by photosynthesis, it is channeled by a number of different processes including photochemistry, heat dissipation (including photo-protective heat dissipation and other heat dissipation), and chlorophyll fluorescence [8]. In rice, nitrogen deficiency decreases the actual quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (ΦPSII), the maximal efficiency of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm), excitation energy capture efficiency of PSII (Fv’/Fm’), as well as the electron transport rate (ETR) [9]
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