Nitrogen inhibition of nitrogenase activity involves the modulation of cytosolic invertase in soybean nodule

Abstract

Legume symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) is suppressed by inorganic N in the soil. High N inhibition of nitrogenase activity is associated with the deprivation of carbon allocation and metabolism in nodules. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we identify GmCIN1 which encodes a cytosolic invertase, as a gateway for the N-tuning of sucrose utilization in nodules. GmCIN1 is enriched in mature soybean nodules and its expression is regulated by nitrogen status. The knockout of GmCIN1 using genome editing partially mimics the inhibitory effects of N on nitrogenase activity and sugar content and the impact of high N on nodule transcriptomes. This indicates that GmCIN1 partially mediates the high N inhibition of nodule activity. Moreover, ChIP-qPCR and EMSA reveal that SNAP1/2 transcription factors directly bind to the GmCIN1 promoter. In addition, SNAP1/2 may be involved in the repression of GmCIN1 expression in mature nodules at high N concentrations. Our findings provide insights into the involvement of the transcriptional tuning of C metabolism genes by N-signaling modulators in the N-induced inhibition of nitrogenase activity.