Abstract
The negative effects of phosphate (Pi) and/or nitrate (NO3−) fertilizers on the environment have raised an urgent need to develop crop varieties with higher Pi and/or nitrogen use efficiencies for cultivation in low-fertility soils. Achieving this goal depends upon research that focuses on the identification of genes involved in plant responses to Pi and/or NO3− starvation. Although plant responses to individual deficiency in either Pi (–Pi/+NO3−) or NO3− (+Pi/–NO3−) have been separately studied, our understanding of plant responses to combined Pi and NO3− deficiency (–Pi/–NO3−) is still very limited. Using RNA-sequencing approach, transcriptome changes in the roots and leaves of chickpea cultivated under –Pi/+NO3−, +Pi/–NO3− or –Pi/–NO3− conditions were investigated in a comparative manner. –Pi/–NO3− treatment displayed lesser effect on expression changes of genes related to Pi or NO3− transport, signalling networks, lipid remodelling, nitrogen and Pi scavenging/remobilization/recycling, carbon metabolism and hormone metabolism than –Pi/+NO3− or +Pi/–NO3− treatments. Therefore, the plant response to –Pi/–NO3− is not simply an additive result of plant responses to –Pi/+NO3− and +Pi/–NO3− treatments. Our results indicate that nutrient imbalance is a stronger stimulus for molecular reprogramming than an overall deficiency.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 574-597 |
Number of pages | 24 |
Journal | Plant Cell and Environment |
Volume | 44 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Feb 2021 |
Keywords
- Cicer arietinum
- RNA-sequencing
- nitrate starvation
- nitrate starvation-responsive genes
- phosphate starvation
- phosphate starvation-responsive genes
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physiology
- Plant Science