Heterotrimeric G proteins regulate nitrogen-use efficiency in rice.
The drive toward more sustainable agriculture has raised the profile of crop plant nutrient-use efficiency. Here we show that a major rice nitrogen-use efficiency quantitative trait locus (qNGR9) is synonymous with the previously identified gene DEP1 (DENSE AND ERECT PANICLES 1). The different DEP1 alleles confer different nitrogen responses, and genetic diversity analysis suggests that DEP1 has been subjected to artificial selection during Oryza sativa spp. japonica rice domestication. The plants carrying the dominant dep1-1 allele exhibit nitrogen-insensitive vegetative growth coupled with increased nitrogen uptake and assimilation, resulting in improved harvest index and grain yield at moderate levels of nitrogen fertilization. The DEP1 protein interacts in vivo with both the Gα (RGA1) and Gβ (RGB1) subunits, and reduced RGA1 or enhanced RGB1 activity inhibits nitrogen responses. We conclude that the plant G protein complex regulates nitrogen signaling and modulation of heterotrimeric G protein activity provides a strategy for environmentally sustainable increases in rice grain yield.
1] The State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Centre for Plant Gene Research, Beijing, China. [2].
Hongying
H
Sun
1] The State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China. [2].
Qian
Q
Qian
1] The State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Centre for Plant Gene Research, Beijing, China. [2].
Kun
K
Wu
1] The State Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. [2].
Jijing
J
Luo
1] The State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Centre for Plant Gene Research, Beijing, China. [2].
Shuansuo
S
Wang
The State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Centre for Plant Gene Research, Beijing, China.
Chengwei
C
Zhang
The State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Centre for Plant Gene Research, Beijing, China.
Yanfei
Y
Ma
The State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Centre for Plant Gene Research, Beijing, China.
Qian
Q
Liu
The State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Centre for Plant Gene Research, Beijing, China.
Xianzhong
X
Huang
The State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Centre for Plant Gene Research, Beijing, China.
Qingbo
Q
Yuan
The State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Centre for Plant Gene Research, Beijing, China.
Ruixi
R
Han
1] The State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Centre for Plant Gene Research, Beijing, China. [2] Institute of Technical Biology and Agriculture Engineering, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China.
Meng
M
Zhao
The State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China.
Guojun
G
Dong
The State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China.
Longbiao
L
Guo
The State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China.
Xudong
X
Zhu
The State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
Zhiheng
Z
Gou
The State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
Wen
W
Wang
Institute of Technical Biology and Agriculture Engineering, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China.
Yuejin
Y
Wu
The State Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Hongxuan
H
Lin
The State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Centre for Plant Gene Research, Beijing, China.
Xiangdong
X
Fu
D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D044387:GTP-Binding Protein beta Subunits / Q000378:metabolism*; D044388:GTP-Binding Protein gamma Subunits / Q000378:metabolism*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase / Q000378:metabolism; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques
D044387:GTP-Binding Protein beta Subunits; D044388:GTP-Binding Protein gamma Subunits; D010940:Plant Proteins; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase; D009584:Nitrogen