Membrane transporters for nitrogen, phosphate and potassium uptake in plants.
Nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium are essential nutrients for plant growth and development. However, their contents in soils are limited so that crop production needs to invest a lot for fertilizer supply. To explore the genetic potentialities of crops (or plants) for their nutrient utilization efficiency has been an important research task for many years. In fact, a number of evidences have revealed that plants, during their evolution, have developed many morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular adaptation mechanisms for acquiring nitrate, phosphate and potassium under stress conditions. Recent discoveries of many transporters and channels for nitrate, phosphate and potassium uptake have opened up opportunities to study the molecular regulatory mechanisms for acquisition of these nutrients. This review aims to briefly discuss the genes and gene families for these transporters and channels. In addition, the functions and regulation of some important transporters and channels are particularly emphasized.
Chen
Yi-Fang
YF
State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, National Plant Gene Research Centre, Beijing 100094, China.
Wang
Yi
Y
Wu
Wei-Hua
WH
D007473:Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism*; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism*; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*
D007473:Ion Channels; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D010710:Phosphates; D009584:Nitrogen; D011188:Potassium