title: ZmPTR1, a maize peptide transporter expressed in the epithelial cells of the scutellum during germination.
abstract: In plants, peptide transporter/nitrate transporter 1 (PTR/NRT1) family proteins transport a variety of substrates such as nitrate, di- and tripepetides, auxin and carboxylates across membranes. We isolated and characterized ZmPTR1, a maize member of this family. ZmPTR1 protein sequence is highly homologous to the previously characterized di- and tripeptide Arabidopsis transporters AtPTR2, AtPTR4 and AtPTR6. ZmPTR1 gene is expressed in the cells of the scutellar epithelium during germination and, to a less extent, in the radicle and the hypocotyl. Arabidopsis thaliana lines overexpressing ZmPTR1 performed better than control plants when grown on a medium with Ala-Ala dipeptide as the unique N source. Our results suggest that ZmPTR1 plays a role in the transport into the embryo of the small peptides produced during enzymatic hydrolysis of the storage proteins in the endosperm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, Centre for Research in Agrigenomics CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Campus Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra-Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Hedia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tnani
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: López-Ribera
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: García-Muniz
authors.forename: Carlos M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Vicient
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000378:metabolism; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D018525:Germination; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D036226:Seedlings / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004151:Dipeptides; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; C002956:alanylalanine; C043912:peptide permease