Research status of transcription factors involved in controlling gene expression by nitrate signaling in higher plants

Abstract

Nitrate is an important nutrient and signaling molecule in plants that modulates the expression of many genes and regulates plant growth. In this study, we cover the research status of transcription factors related to the control of gene expression by nitrate signaling in higher plants. Nitrate reductase is a key enzyme in nitrogen assimilation, as it catalyzes the nitrate-to-nitrite reduction process in plants. A variety of factors, including nitrate, light, metabolites, phytohormones, low temperature, and drought, modulate the expression levels of nitrate reductase genes and nitrate reductase activity, which is consistent with the physiological role if. Recently, several transcription factors controlling the expression of nitrate reductase genes have been identified in higher plants. NODULE-INCEPTION-Like Proteins (NLPs) are transcription factors responsible for the nitrate-inducible expression of nitrate reductase genes. Since NLPs also control the nitrate-inducible expression of genes encoding the nitrate transporter, nitrite transporter, and nitrite reductase, the expression levels of nitrate reduction pathway-associated genes are coordinately modulated by NLPs in response to nitrate. Understanding the function of nitrate in plants will be useful to create crops with low nitrogen use.