Systemic signaling of the plant nitrogen status triggers specific transcriptome responses depending on the nitrogen source in Medicago truncatula.
Legumes can acquire nitrogen (N) from NO(3)(-), NH(4)(+), and N(2) (through symbiosis with Rhizobium bacteria); however, the mechanisms by which uptake and assimilation of these N forms are coordinately regulated to match the N demand of the plant are currently unknown. Here, we find by use of the split-root approach in Medicago truncatula plants that NO(3)(-) uptake, NH(4)(+) uptake, and N(2) fixation are under general control by systemic signaling of plant N status. Indeed, irrespective of the nature of the N source, N acquisition by one side of the root system is repressed by high N supply to the other side. Transcriptome analysis facilitated the identification of over 3,000 genes that were regulated by systemic signaling of the plant N status. However, detailed scrutiny of the data revealed that the observation of differential gene expression was highly dependent on the N source. Localized N starvation results, in the unstarved roots of the same plant, in a strong compensatory up-regulation of NO(3)(-) uptake but not of either NH(4)(+) uptake or N(2) fixation. This indicates that the three N acquisition pathways do not always respond similarly to a change in plant N status. When taken together, these data indicate that although systemic signals of N status control root N acquisition, the regulatory gene networks targeted by these signals, as well as the functional response of the N acquisition systems, are predominantly determined by the nature of the N source.
Ruffel
Sandrine
S
Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, UMR 5004, INRA-CNRS-Sup Agro-UM2, Institut de Biologie Intégrative des Plantes, F-34060 Montpellier, France.
Freixes
Sandra
S
Balzergue
Sandrine
S
Tillard
Pascal
P
Jeudy
Christian
C
Martin-Magniette
Marie Laure
ML
van der Merwe
Margaretha J
MJ
Kakar
Klementina
K
Gouzy
Jerôme
J
Fernie
Alisdair R
AR
Udvardi
Michael
M
Salon
Christophe
C
Gojon
Alain
A
Lepetit
Marc
M
D018745:Genome, Plant; D029902:Medicago / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009584:Nitrogen