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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2024, Vol. 23 Issue (3): 1048-1060    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.07.012
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Lateral root elongation in maize is related to auxin synthesis and transportation mediated by N metabolism under a mixed NO3 and NH4+ supply

Peng Wang1, 2*, Lan Yang2, 3*, Xichao Sun2, 4, Wenjun Shi2, Rui Dong1, 2, Yuanhua Wu1, Guohua Mi2#

1 Key Laboratory of Tobacco Biology and Processing of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese    Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China

2Department of Plant Nutrition, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China

3 College of Resources, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China

4 Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin 300191, China

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摘要  

硝铵混合供氮能够促进玉米(Zea mays)根系生长,然而不同供氮形态下根构型变化及相关的生理机制目前还不够清楚。本研究我们采用营养液水培方式,将玉米幼苗在3种供氮形态(单独供硝,75/25硝铵比,单独供铵)下进行培养。研究表明,与单独供硝或供铵相比,混合供氮能够促进玉米根系总长的增加,但对轴根总数无影响。混合供氮下根系总长的增加主要由于侧根长度的增加,其中各轮轴根上的侧根长度皆保守增长,同时,二轮结根上的侧根密度也显著增加。与单独供硝相比,混合供氮能够促进玉米根系N代谢(例如,N的流入,硝酸还原酶(NR)和谷氨酰胺酶 (GS)活性以及根系总氨基酸含量)。外源添加NRGS抑制剂实验证明,混合供氮条件下各轴根上平均侧根长度的增加与N的同化过程有关,然而,NR介导的NO合成途径是否参与了该调控过程还有待进一步探讨。探究不同抑制剂处理后玉米幼苗根冠比和根系碳(C)浓度的变化规律表明C从地上向根的转运可能不是决定侧根伸长的最关键因素,不同供氮形态下根中糖浓度的变化规律也间接证明了这一结论。此外,生长素在轴根中的合成和运输可能在侧根伸长中起关键作用,其中ZmPIN1BZmPIN9的表达可能参与该调控路径。本研究初步证明了混合供氮条件下玉米根系构型的变化以及可能的生理机制,该研究的提出可为培育氮高效玉米品种提供一定的理论基础。



Abstract  A mixed nitrate (NO3) and ammonium (NH4+) supply can promote root growth in maize (Zea mays), however, the changes in root morphology and the related physiological mechanism under different N forms are still unclear.  Here, maize seedlings were grown hydroponically with three N supplied in three different forms (NO3 only, 75/25 NO3/NH4+ and NH4+ only).  Compared with sole NO3 or NH4+, the mixed N supply increased the total root length of maize but did not affect the number of axial roots.  The main reason was the increased total lateral root length, while the average lateral root (LR) length in each axle was only slightly increased.  In addition, the average LR density of 2nd whorl crown root under mixed N was also increased.  Compared with sole nitrate, mixed N could improve the N metabolism of roots (such as the N influx rate, nitrate reductase (NR) and glutamine synthase (GS)enzyme activities and total amino content of the roots).  Experiments with exogenously added NR and GS inhibitors suggested that the increase in the average LR length under mixed N was related to the process of N assimilation, and whether the NR mediated NO synthesis participates in this process needs further exploration.  Meanwhile, an investigation of the changes in root-shoot ratio and carbon (C) concentration showed that C transportation from shoots to roots may not be the key factor in mediating lateral root elongation, and the changes in the sugar concentration in roots further proved this conclusion.  Furthermore, the synthesis and transportation of auxin in axial roots may play a key role in lateral root elongation, in which the expression of ZmPIN1B and ZmPIN9 may be involved in this pathway.  This study preliminarily clarified the changes in root morphology and explored the possible physiological mechanism under a mixed N supply in maize, which may provide some theoretical basis for the cultivation of crop varieties with high N efficiency.
Keywords:  maize        NO3-/NH4+ ratio        lateral root elongation        N assimilation        indole-3-acetic acid   
Received: 13 April 2023   Accepted: 19 June 2023
Fund: The study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31421092) and the Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund, China (1610232023023).  
About author:  #Correspondence Guohua Mi, E-mail: miguohua@cau.edu.cn * These authors contributed equally to this study.

Cite this article: 

Peng Wang, Lan Yang, Xichao Sun, Wenjun Shi, Rui Dong, Yuanhua Wu, Guohua Mi. 2024.

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