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Nitrogen Signaling, Transport, and Function in Plants

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A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Biological Factors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 February 2024) | Viewed by 7957

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Takushi Hachiya

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Guest Editor

Department of Molecular and Functional Genomics, Interdisciplinary Center for Science Research, Shimane University, Shimane 690-8504, Japan
Interests: ammonium toxicity; nitrogen signaling; respiration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants utilize nitrate, ammonium, and organic nitrogen compounds in the soil as nitrogen sources. It is widely accepted that these nitrogen compounds act not only as nitrogen sources, but also as signaling molecules. In fact, the supply of nitrogen compounds alters the activities of gene and protein at transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels. Recent studies have identified the molecular components that are crucial for nitrogen-dependent signaling, including sensor proteins, transcription factors, kinases, phytohormones, and peptide signals. These components mediate the signaling both locally and systemically and cross-talk with other signaling pathways that respond to abiotic and biotic stimuli. In this way, plants elaborately adjust their growth and nitrogen uptake, assimilation, and distribution, and stress responses to existing environments. This Special Issue will focus on the recent progress in the molecular and physiological mechanisms of nitrogen signaling, transport, and function in model and non-model plants. Experimental approaches, in addition to computational approaches, such as systems biology, modeling, and simulative approaches, are welcome for submission. Furthermore, studies on the cross-talk between nitrogen responses and other environmental responses are acceptable. A better understanding of these mechanisms will shed light on the adaptive strategies of plants to survive in natural environments and may lead to new plant breeding.

Dr. Takushi Hachiya
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

nitrogen assimilation
nitrogen sensing
nitrogen transport
nitrogen signaling
primary nitrate response
systemic nitrogen signaling

Published Papers (3 papers)

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21 pages, 1569 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Role of Glutamine Synthetase (GS) and Glutamate Synthase (GOGAT) in the Improvement of Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Cereals

by Stefania Fortunato, Domenica Nigro, Cecilia Lasorella, Ilaria Marcotuli, Agata Gadaleta and Maria Concetta de Pinto

Biomolecules 2023, 13(12), 1771; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13121771 - 10 Dec 2023

Viewed by 2249

Abstract

Cereals are the most broadly produced crops and represent the primary source of food worldwide. Nitrogen (N) is a critical mineral nutrient for plant growth and high yield, and the quality of cereal crops greatly depends on a suitable N supply. In the last decades, a massive use of N fertilizers has been achieved in the desire to have high yields of cereal crops, leading to damaging effects for the environment, ecosystems, and human health. To ensure agricultural sustainability and the required food source, many attempts have been made towards developing cereal crops with a more effective nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). NUE depends on N uptake, utilization, and lastly, combining the capability to assimilate N into carbon skeletons and remobilize the N assimilated. The glutamine synthetase (GS)/glutamate synthase (GOGAT) cycle represents a crucial metabolic step of N assimilation, regulating crop yield. In this review, the physiological and genetic studies on GS and GOGAT of the main cereal crops will be examined, giving emphasis on their implications in NUE. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen Signaling, Transport, and Function in Plants)

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32 pages, 3523 KiB

Open AccessReview

Nitrogen Journey in Plants: From Uptake to Metabolism, Stress Response, and Microbe Interaction

by Omar Zayed, Omar A. Hewedy, Ali Abdelmoteleb, Mohammed Ali, Mohamed S. Youssef, Ahmed F. Roumia, Danelle Seymour and Ze-Chun Yuan

Biomolecules 2023, 13(10), 1443; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13101443 - 25 Sep 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4064

Abstract

Plants uptake and assimilate nitrogen from the soil in the form of nitrate, ammonium ions, and available amino acids from organic sources. Plant nitrate and ammonium transporters are responsible for nitrate and ammonium translocation from the soil into the roots. The unique structure of these transporters determines the specificity of each transporter, and structural analyses reveal the mechanisms by which these transporters function. Following absorption, the nitrogen metabolism pathway incorporates the nitrogen into organic compounds via glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase that convert ammonium ions into glutamine and glutamate. Different isoforms of glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase exist, enabling plants to fine-tune nitrogen metabolism based on environmental cues. Under stressful conditions, nitric oxide has been found to enhance plant survival under drought stress. Furthermore, the interaction between salinity stress and nitrogen availability in plants has been studied, with nitric oxide identified as a potential mediator of responses to salt stress. Conversely, excessive use of nitrate fertilizers can lead to health and environmental issues. Therefore, alternative strategies, such as establishing nitrogen fixation in plants through diazotrophic microbiota, have been explored to reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers. Ultimately, genomics can identify new genes related to nitrogen fixation, which could be harnessed to improve plant productivity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen Signaling, Transport, and Function in Plants)

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Other

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13 pages, 4105 KiB

Open AccessBrief Report

Effects of Storage Temperatures on Nitrogen Assimilation and Remobilization during Post-Harvest Senescence of Pak Choi

by Savitha Dhandapani, Vidya Susan Philip, Shaik Anwar Ahamed Nabeela Nasreen, Alice Mei Xien Tan, Praveen Kumar Jayapal, Rajeev J. Ram and Bong Soo Park

Biomolecules 2023, 13(10), 1540; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13101540 - 18 Oct 2023

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Abstract

In the agricultural industry, the post-harvest leafy vegetable quality and shelf life significantly influence market value and consumer acceptability. This study examined the effects of different storage temperatures on leaf senescence, nitrogen assimilation, and remobilization in Pak Choi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis). Mature Pak Choi plants were harvested and stored at two different temperatures, 4 °C and 25 °C. Senescence was tracked via chlorophyll content and leaf yellowing. Concurrently, alterations in the total nitrogen, nitrate, and protein content were quantified on days 0, 3, 6, and 9 in old, mid, and young leaves of Pak Choi plants. As expected, 4 °C alleviated chlorophyll degradation and delayed senescence of Pak Choi compared to 25 °C. Total nitrogen and protein contents were inversely correlated, while the nitrate content remained nearly constant across leaf groups at 25 °C. Additionally, the transcript levels of genes involved in nitrogen assimilation and remobilization revealed key candidate genes that were differentially expressed between 4 °C and 25 °C, which might be targeted to extend the shelf life of the leafy vegetables. Thus, this study provides pivotal insights into the molecular and physiological responses of Pak Choi to post-harvest storage conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen Signaling, Transport, and Function in Plants)

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