Abstract
Nitrogen (N) is an essential macronutrient, and the final form of endogenous inorganic N is ammonium, which is assimilated by Gln synthetase (GS) into Gln. However, how the multiple isoforms of cytosolic GSs contribute to metabolic systems via the regulation of ammonium assimilation remains unclear. In this study, we compared the effects of two rice (Oryza sativa) cytosolic GSs, namely OsGS1;1 and OsGS1;2, on central metabolism in roots using reverse genetics, metabolomic and transcriptomic profiling, and network analyses. We observed (1) abnormal sugar and organic N accumulation and (2) significant up-regulation of genes associated with photosynthesis and chlorophyll biosynthesis in the roots of Osgs1;1 but not Osgs1;2 knockout mutants. Network analysis of the Osgs1;1 mutant suggested that metabolism of Gln was coordinated with the metabolic modules of sugar metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and carbon fixation. Transcript profiling of Osgs1;1 mutant roots revealed that expression of the rice sigma-factor (OsSIG) genes in the mutants were transiently upregulated. GOLDEN2-LIKE transcription factor-encoding genes, which are involved in chloroplast biogenesis in rice, could not compensate for the lack of OsSIGs in the Osgs1;1 mutant. Microscopic analysis revealed mature chloroplast development in Osgs1;1 roots but not in the roots of Osgs1;2, Osgs1;2-complemented lines, or the wild type. Thus, organic N assimilated by OsGS1;1 affects a broad range of metabolites and transcripts involved in maintaining metabolic homeostasis and plastid development in rice roots, whereas OsGS1;2 has a more specific role, affecting mainly amino acid homeostasis but not carbon metabolism.
Highlights
Nitrogen (N) is an essential macronutrient, and the final form of endogenous inorganic N is ammonium, which is assimilated by Gln synthetase (GS) into Gln
We observed significant increases in the transcript abundances of genes encoding ferredoxin-NADP reductase (FNR), PSI reaction center subunit N (PN), glutamyl-tRNA reductase (HEMA1), magnesium-protoporphyrin IX monomethyl ester cyclase (CRD1), and Fru-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) in the mutant roots (Fig. 4)
In cross sections of the maturation zone (MZ) V of Osgs1;1 mutant roots, we investigated three regions consisting of distinct tissues, the cortex containing aerenchyma, and the endodermis, pericycle, and stele (Fig. 7; Takehisa et al, 2012)
Summary
Nitrogen (N) is an essential macronutrient, and the final form of endogenous inorganic N is ammonium, which is assimilated by Gln synthetase (GS) into Gln. There are three homologous GS1 genes in rice (Ishiyama et al, 2004a), barley (Hordeum vulgare; Goodall et al, 2013), and wheat (Triticum aestivum; Wang et al, 2015), two in Medicago truncatula (Carvalho et al, 2000), five each in maize (Zea mays; Li et al, 1993; Martin et al, 2006) and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana; Ishiyama et al, 2004b), and 16 in Brassica napus (Orsel et al, 2014) It remains unclear why plants have multiple isoforms of GS1 and what their different functions might be. These findings suggest that there is a yet-to-be identified link to explain how and why the mutants could achieve such different and specific responses in rice
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