title: The response of the maize nitrate transport system to nitrogen demand and supply across the lifecycle.
abstract: An understanding of nitrate (NO3-) uptake throughout the lifecycle of plants, and how this process responds to nitrogen (N) availability, is an important step towards the development of plants with improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). NO3- uptake capacity and transcript levels of putative high- and low-affinity NO3- transporters (NRTs) were profiled across the lifecycle of dwarf maize (Zea mays) plants grown at reduced and adequate NO3-. Plants showed major changes in high-affinity NO3- uptake capacity across the lifecycle, which varied with changing relative growth rates of roots and shoots. Transcript abundances of putative high-affinity NRTs (predominantly ZmNRT2.1 and ZmNRT2.2) were correlated with two distinct peaks in high-affinity root NO3- uptake capacity and also N availability. The reduction in NO3- supply during the lifecycle led to a dramatic increase in NO3- uptake capacity, which preceded changes in transcript levels of NRTs, suggesting a model with short-term post-translational regulation and longer term transcriptional regulation of NO3- uptake capacity. These observations offer new insight into the control of NO3- uptake by both plant developmental processes and N availability, and identify key control points that may be targeted by future plant improvement programmes to enhance N uptake relative to availability and/or demand.
authors: Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.|School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.
authors: Trevor
authors: T
authors: Garnett
authors: Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.|School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.
authors: Vanessa
authors: V
authors: Conn
authors: Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.|School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.
authors: Darren
authors: D
authors: Plett
authors: Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.|School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.
authors: Simon
authors: S
authors: Conn
authors: Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.|Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Vienna, A1190, Austria.
authors: Juergen
authors: J
authors: Zanghellini
authors: Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.|School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.
authors: Nenah
authors: N
authors: Mackenzie
authors: Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.|School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.
authors: Akiko
authors: A
authors: Enju
authors: Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.|School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Francis
authors: Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.|School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.
authors: Luke
authors: L
authors: Holtham
authors: Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, School of Botany, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., 3010, Australia.|Metabolomics Australia School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Vic, 3010, Australia.
authors: Ute
authors: U
authors: Roessner
authors: Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, School of Botany, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., 3010, Australia.|Metabolomics Australia School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Vic, 3010, Australia.
authors: Berin
authors: B
authors: Boughton
authors: Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, School of Botany, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., 3010, Australia.|Metabolomics Australia School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Vic, 3010, Australia.
authors: Antony
authors: A
authors: Bacic
authors: Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.|School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.
authors: Neil
authors: N
authors: Shirley
authors: DuPont Crop Genetics, Wilmington, DE, 19803, USA.
authors: Antoni
authors: A
authors: Rafalski
authors: Agricultural Biotechnology, DuPont Pioneer, Johnston, IA, 50131, USA.
authors: Kanwarpal
authors: K
authors: Dhugga
authors: Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.|School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Tester
authors: School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5064, Australia.
authors: Brent N
authors: BN
authors: Kaiser
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D027321:Anion Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D018533:Biomass; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D000091285:Nitrate Transporters; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003313:Zea mays / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D027321:Anion Transport Proteins; D000091285:Nitrate Transporters; D009566:Nitrates; D010940:Plant Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009584:Nitrogen
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