Amino acid metabolism pathways as key regulators of nitrogen distribution in tobacco: insights from transcriptome and WGCNA analyses.

IF 4.3 2区生物学 Q1 PLANT SCIENCES

BMC Plant Biology Pub Date : 2025-03-27 DOI:10.1186/s12870-025-06390-4

Shichen Li, Waqar Ahmed, Tao Jiang, Dehai Yang, Linyuan Yang, Xiaodong Hu, Meiwei Zhao, Xiaoci Peng, Yingfen Yang, Wei Zhang, Mingmin Li, Zhengxiong Zhao

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background and aim: Nitrogen (N) is crucial for plant growth and is distributed across various N morphologies within plant organs. However, the mechanisms controlling the distribution of these N morphologies are not fully understood. This study investigated key amino acid (AA) biosynthesis pathways regulating N distribution and their impact on plant physiology and growth.

Methods: We examined N distribution in the leaves, stems, and roots of two tobacco cultivars (Hongda and K326) under different N treatments at 75, and 100 days after transplanting (DAT). Transcriptome analysis was performed at 75 and 100 DAT to explore N distribution and AA metabolism pathways. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified pathways regulating N distribution, and the Mantel test assessed the impact of N treatments, growth stages, and cultivars on N distribution.

Results: Statistically significant differences in N distribution were observed across environmental conditions, growth stages, cultivars, and plant organs (p < 0.05). WGCNA identified phenylalanine metabolism (ko00360), alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism (ko00250), and glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism (ko00260) pathways regulating the distribution of N_in-SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate insoluble N), N_W (water soluble N), and N_S (sodium dodecyl sulfate soluble N), respectively. Increased N application promoted N_in-SDS accumulation, while earlier growth stages and cultivar Hongda favored N_W distribution. N_S distribution was inhibited under high N conditions. Gene expression in these pathways correlated with N distribution, biomass, and N accumulation.

Conclusion: This study elucidates the mechanisms regulating N distribution in tobacco, emphasizing the role of AA metabolism pathways. These findings are essential for improving N utilization and optimizing N management practices, ultimately enhancing crop productivity and supporting sustainable agricultural practices.

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来源期刊

BMC Plant Biology 生物-植物科学

CiteScore

8.40

自引率

3.80%

发文量

539

审稿时长

3.8 months

期刊介绍： BMC Plant Biology is an open access, peer-reviewed journal that considers articles on all aspects of plant biology, including molecular, cellular, tissue, organ and whole organism research.