Over-expression of a high-affinity phosphate transporter in transgenic barley plants does not enhance phosphate uptake rates

Narrowing down molecular targets for improving phosphorus-use efficiency in maize (Zea mays L.)

Conventional agricultural practices rely heavily on chemical fertilizers to boost production. Among the fertilizers, phosphatic fertilizers are copiously used to ameliorate low-phosphate availability in the soil. However, phosphorus-use efficiency (PUE) for major cereals, including maize, is less than 30%; resulting in more than half of the applied phosphate being lost to the environment. Rock phosphate reserves are finite and predicted to exhaust in near future with the current rate of consumption. Thus, the dependence of modern agriculture on phosphatic fertilizers poses major food security and sustainability challenges. Strategies to optimize and improve PUE, like genetic interventions to develop high PUE cultivars, could have a major impact in this area. Here, we present the current understanding and recent advances in the biological phenomenon of phosphate uptake, translocation, and adaptive responses of plants under phosphate deficiency, with special reference to maize. Maize is one of the most important cereal crops that is cultivated globally under diverse agro-climatic conditions. It is an industrial, feed and food crop with multifarious uses and a fast-rising global demand and consumption. The interesting aspects of diversity in the root system architecture traits, the interplay between signaling pathways contributing to PUE, and an in-depth discussion on promising candidate genes for improving PUE in maize are elaborated.

Phosphorus Acquisition and Utilization in Plants

Tremendous progress has been made on molecular aspects of plant phosphorus (P) nutrition, often without heeding information provided by soil scientists, ecophysiologists, and crop physiologists. This review suggests ways to integrate information from different disciplines. When soil P availability is very low, P-mobilizing strategies are more effective than mycorrhizal strategies. Soil parameters largely determine how much P roots can acquire from P-impoverished soil, and kinetic properties of P transporters are less important. Changes in the expression of P transporters avoid P toxicity. Plants vary widely in photosynthetic P-use efficiency, photosynthesis per unit leaf P. The challenge is to discover what the trade-offs are of different patterns of investment in P fractions. Less investment may save P, but are costs incurred? Are these costs acceptable for crops? These questions can be resolved only by the concerted action of scientists working at both molecular and physiological levels, rather than pursuing these problems independently.

Phosphorus concentration coordinates a respiratory bypass, synthesis and exudation of citrate, and the expression of high-affinity phosphorus transporters in Solanum lycopersicum

Plants exhibit respiratory bypasses (e.g., the alternative oxidase [AOX]) and increase the synthesis of carboxylates in their organs (leaves and roots) in response to phosphorus (P) deficiency, which increases P uptake capacity. They also show differential expression of high-affinity inorganic phosphorus (Pi) transporters, thus avoiding P toxicity at a high P availability. The association between AOX and carboxylate synthesis was tested in Solanum lycopersicum plants grown at different soil P availability, by using plants grown under P-sufficient and P-limiting conditions and by applying a short-term (24 hr) P-sufficient pulse to plants grown under P limitation. Tests were also performed with plants colonized with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which increased plant P concentration under reduced P availability. The in vivo activities of AOX and cytochrome oxidase were measured together with the concentration of carboxylates and the P concentration in plant organs. Gene transcription of Pi transporters (LePT1 and LePT2) was also studied. A coordinated response between plant P concentration with these traits was observed, indicating that a sufficient P availability in soil led to a suppression of both AOX activity and synthesis of citrate and a downregulation of the transcription of genes encoding high-affinity Pi transporters, presumably to avoid P toxicity.

Roles, Regulation, and Agricultural Application of Plant Phosphate Transporters

Phosphorus (P) is an essential mineral nutrient for plant growth and development. Low availability of inorganic phosphate (orthophosphate; Pi) in soil seriously restricts the crop production, while excessive fertilization has caused environmental pollution. Pi acquisition and homeostasis depend on transport processes controlled Pi transporters, which are grouped into five families so far: PHT1, PHT2, PHT3, PHT4, and PHT5. This review summarizes the current understanding on plant PHT families, including phylogenetic analysis, function, and regulation. The potential application of Pi transporters and the related regulatory factors for developing genetically modified crops with high phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) are also discussed in this review. At last, we provide some potential strategies for developing high PUE crops under salt or drought stress conditions, which can be valuable for improving crop yields challenged by global scarcity of water resources and increasing soil salinization.

Local and distal effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization on direct pathway Pi uptake and root growth in Medicago truncatula

Two pathways exist for plant Pi uptake from soil: via root epidermal cells (direct pathway) or via associations with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, and the two pathways interact in a complex manner. This study investigated distal and local effects of AM colonization on direct root Pi uptake and root growth, at different soil P levels. Medicago truncatula was grown at three soil P levels in split-pots with or without AM fungal inoculation and where one root half grew into soil labelled with (33)P. Plant genotypes included the A17 wild type and the mtpt4 mutant. The mtpt4 mutant, colonized by AM fungi, but with no functional mycorrhizal pathway for Pi uptake, was included to better understand effects of AM colonization per se. Colonization by AM fungi decreased expression of direct Pi transporter genes locally, but not distally in the wild type. In mtpt4 mutant plants, direct Pi transporter genes and the Pi starvation-induced gene Mt4 were more highly expressed than in wild-type roots. In wild-type plants, less Pi was taken up via the direct pathway by non-colonized roots when the other root half was colonized by AM fungi, compared with non-mycorrhizal plants. Colonization by AM fungi strongly influenced root growth locally and distally, and direct root Pi uptake activity locally, but had only a weak influence on distal direct pathway activity. The responses to AM colonization in the mtpt4 mutant suggested that in the wild type, the increased P concentration of colonized roots was a major factor driving the effects of AM colonization on direct root Pi uptake.

A putative high affinity phosphate transporter, CmPT1, enhances tolerance to Pi deficiency of chrysanthemum

BACKGROUND

Inorganic phosphate (Pi) is essential for plant growth, and phosphorus deficiency is a main limiting factor in plant development. Its acquisition is largely mediated by Pht1 transporters, a family of plasma membrane-located proteins. Chrysanthemum is one of the most important ornamental plants, its productivity is usually compromised when grown in phosphate deficient soils, but the study of phosphate transporters in chrysanthemum is limited.

RESULTS

We described the isolation from chrysanthemum of a homolog of the Phosphate Transporter 1 (PT1) family. Its predicted product is a protein with 12 transmembrane domains, highly homologous with other high affinity plant Pi transporters. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the gene was transcribed strongly in the root, weakly in the stem and below the level of detection in the leaf of chrysanthemum plants growing in either sufficient or deficient Pi conditions. Transcript abundance was greatly enhanced in Pi-starved roots. A complementation assay in yeast showed that CmPT1 partially compensated for the absence of phosphate transporter activity in yeast strain MB192. The estimated Km of CmPT1 was 35.2 μM. Under both Pi sufficient and deficient conditions, transgenic plants constitutively expressing CmPT1 grew taller than the non-transformed wild type, produced a greater volume of roots, accumulated more biomass and took up more phosphate.

CONCLUSIONS

CmPT1 encodes a typical, root-expressed, high affinity phosphate transporter, plays an important role in coping Pi deficiency of chrysanthemum plants.

Characterization of phosphorus-regulated miR399 and miR827 and their isomirs in barley under phosphorus-sufficient and phosphorus-deficient conditions

BACKGROUND

miR399 and miR827 are both involved in conserved phosphorus (P) deficiency signalling pathways. miR399 targets the PHO2 gene encoding E2 enzyme that negatively regulates phosphate uptake and root-to-shoot allocation, while miR827 targets SPX-domain-containing genes that negatively regulate other P-responsive genes. However, the response of miR399 and miR827 to P conditions in barley has not been investigated.

RESULTS

In this study, we investigated the expression profiles of miR399 and miR827 in barley (Hordeum vulagre L.) under P-deficient and P-sufficient conditions. We identified 10 members of the miR399 family and one miR827 gene in barley, all of which were significantly up-regulated under deficient P. In addition, we found many isomirs of the miR399 family and miR827, most of which were also significantly up-regulated under deficient P. Several isomirs of miR399 members were found to be able to cleave their predicted targets in vivo. Surprisingly, a few small RNAs (sRNAs) derived from the single-stranded loops of the hairpin structures of MIR399b and MIR399e-1 were also found to be able to cleave their predicted targets in vivo. Many antisense sRNAs of miR399 and a few for miR827 were also detected, but they did not seem to be regulated by P. Intriguingly, the lowest expressed member, hvu-miR399k, had four-fold more antisense sRNAs than sense sRNAs, and furthermore under P sufficiency, the antisense sRNAs are more frequent than the sense sRNAs. We identified a potential regulatory network among miR399, its target HvPHO2 and target mimics HvIPS1 and HvIPS2 in barley under P-deficient and P-sufficient conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data provide an important insight into the mechanistic regulation and function of miR399, miR827 and their isomirs in barley under different P conditions.

Enhancement of phosphate absorption by garden plants by genetic engineering: a new tool for phytoremediation

Although phosphorus is an essential factor for proper plant growth in natural environments, an excess of phosphate in water sources causes serious pollution. In this paper we describe transgenic plants which hyperaccumulate inorganic phosphate (Pi) and which may be used to reduce environmental water pollution by phytoremediation. AtPHR1, a transcription factor for a key regulator of the Pi starvation response in Arabidopsis thaliana, was overexpressed in the ornamental garden plants Torenia, Petunia, and Verbena. The transgenic plants showed hyperaccumulation of Pi in leaves and accelerated Pi absorption rates from hydroponic solutions. Large-scale hydroponic experiments indicated that the enhanced ability to absorb Pi in transgenic torenia (AtPHR1) was comparable to water hyacinth a plant that though is used for phytoremediation causes overgrowth problems.

Enhancing phosphorus and zinc acquisition efficiency in rice: a critical review of root traits and their potential utility in rice breeding

BACKGROUND

Rice is the world's most important cereal crop and phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) deficiency are major constraints to its production. Where fertilizer is applied to overcome these nutritional constraints it comes at substantial cost to farmers and the efficiency of fertilizer use is low. Breeding crops that are efficient at acquiring P and Zn from native soil reserves or fertilizer sources has been advocated as a cost-effective solution, but would benefit from knowledge of genes and mechanisms that confer enhanced uptake of these nutrients by roots.

SCOPE

This review discusses root traits that have been linked to P and Zn uptake in rice, including traits that increase mobilization of P/Zn from soils, increase the volume of soil explored by roots or root surface area to recapture solubilized nutrients, enhance the rate of P/Zn uptake across the root membrane, and whole-plant traits that affect root growth and nutrient capture. In particular, this review focuses on the potential for these traits to be exploited through breeding programmes to produce nutrient-efficient crop cultivars.

CONCLUSIONS

Few root traits have so far been used successfully in plant breeding for enhanced P and Zn uptake in rice or any other crop. Insufficient genotypic variation for traits or the failure to enhance nutrient uptake under realistic field conditions are likely reasons for the limited success. More emphasis is needed on field studies in mapping populations or association panels to identify those traits and underlying genes that are able to enhance nutrient acquisition beyond the level already present in most cultivars.

A phosphate starvation response regulator Ta-PHR1 is involved in phosphate signalling and increases grain yield in wheat

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Phosphorus deficiency is a major limiting factor for crop yield worldwide. Previous studies revealed that PHR1 and it homologues play a key role in regulating the phosphate starvation response in plants. However, the function of PHR homologues in common wheat (Triticum aestivum) is still not fully understood. The aim of the study was to characterize the function of PHR1 genes in regulating phosphate signalling and plant growth in wheat.

METHODS

Wheat transgenic lines over-expressing a wheat PHR1 gene were generated and evaluated under phosphorus-deficient and -sufficient conditions in hydroponic culture, a soil pot trial and two field experiments.

KEY RESULTS

Three PHR1 homologous genes Ta-PHR1-A1, B1 and D1 were isolated from wheat, and the function of Ta-PHR1-A1 was analysed. The results showed that Ta-PHR1-A1 transcriptionally activated the expression of Ta-PHT1.2 in yeast cells. Over-expressing Ta-PHR1-A1 in wheat upregulated a subset of phosphate starvation response genes, stimulated lateral branching and improved phosphorus uptake when the plants were grown in soil and in nutrient solution. The data from two field trials demonstrated that over-expressing Ta-PHR1-A1 increased grain yield by increasing grain number per spike.

CONCLUSIONS

TaPHR1 is involved in phosphate signalling in wheat, and was valuable in molecular breeding of crops, with improved phosphorus use efficiency and yield performance.

Transcriptional responses of maize seedling root to phosphorus starvation

Maize (Zea mays) is the most widely cultivated crop around the world, however, it is commonly affected by phosphate (Pi) deficiency and the underlying molecular basis of responses mechanism is still unknown. In this study, the transcriptional response of maize roots to Pi starvation at 3 days after the onset of Pi deprivation was assessed. The investigation revealed a total of 283 Pi-responsive genes, of which 199 and 84 genes were found to be either up- or down-regulated respectively, by 2-fold or more. Pi-responsive genes were found to be involved in sugar and nitrogen metabolic pathways, ion transport, signal transduction, transcriptional regulation, and other processes related to growth and development. In addition, the expression patterns of maize inorganic phosphorus transporters, acid phosphatase, phytase, 2-deoxymugineic acid synthase1, POD and MYB transcription factor were validated in 178 roots response to low phosphorus stress. of which, two genes encoding phytase and acid phosphatase were significantly induced by Pi deficiency and may play a pivotal role in the process of absorption and re-utilization of Pi in Maize. These results not only enhance our knowledge about molecular processes associated with Pi deficiency, but also facilitate the identification of key molecular determinants for improving Pi use in maize. Moreover, this work sets a framework to produce Pi-specific maize microarrays to study the changes in global gene expression between Pi-efficient and Pi-inefficient maize genotypes.

Approaches towards nitrogen- and phosphorus-efficient rice

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Food production has to increase to meet the demand of a growing population. In light of the high energy costs and increasingly scarce resources, future agricultural systems have to be more productive and more efficient in terms of inputs such as fertilizer and water. The development of rice varieties with high yield under low-nutrient conditions has therefore become a breeding priority. The rapid progress made in sequencing and molecular-marker technology is now beginning to change the way breeding is done, providing new opportunities.

SCOPE

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are applied to agricultural systems in large quantities and a deficiency of either nutrient leads to yield losses and triggers complex molecular and physiological responses. The underlying genes are now being identified and studied in detail, and an increasing number of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to N and P uptake and utilization are being reported. Here, we provide an overview of the different aspects related to N and P in rice production systems, and apply a breeder's perspective on the potential of relevant genes and pathways for breeding applications.

MAIN POINTS

For the development of nutrient-efficient rice, a holistic approach should be followed combining optimized fertilizer management with enhanced nutrient uptake via a vigorous root system, leading to increased grain filling and yield. Despite an increasing number of N- and P-related genes and QTLs being reported, very few are actively used in molecular breeding programmes. The complex regulation of N- and P-related pathways challenges breeders and the research community to identify large-effect genes/QTLs. For this it will be important to focus more on the analysis of tolerant genotypes rather than model plants, since tolerance pathways may employ a different set of genes.

Transcriptional regulation of phosphate acquisition by higher plants

Phosphorus (P), an essential macronutrient required for plant growth and development, is often limiting in natural and agro-climatic environments. To cope with heterogeneous or low phosphate (Pi) availability, plants have evolved an array of adaptive responses facilitating optimal acquisition and distribution of Pi. The root system plays a pivotal role in Pi-deficiency-mediated adaptive responses that are regulated by a complex interplay of systemic and local Pi sensing. Cross-talk with sugar, phytohormones, and other nutrient signaling pathways further highlight the intricacies involved in maintaining Pi homeostasis. Transcriptional regulation of Pi-starvation responses is particularly intriguing and involves a host of transcription factors (TFs). Although PHR1 of Arabidopsis is an extensively studied MYB TF regulating subset of Pi-starvation responses, it is not induced during Pi deprivation. Genome-wide analyses of Arabidopsis have shown that low Pi stress triggers spatiotemporal expression of several genes encoding different TFs. Functional characterization of some of these TFs reveals their diverse roles in regulating root system architecture, and acquisition and utilization of Pi. Some of the TFs are also involved in phytohormone-mediated root responses to Pi starvation. The biological roles of these TFs in transcriptional regulation of Pi homeostasis in model plants Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa are presented in this review.

First observation of diffusion-limited plant root phosphorus uptake from nutrient solution

Diffusion towards the root surface has recently been shown to control the uptake of metal ions from solutions. The uptake flux of phosphorus (P) from solutions often approaches the maximal diffusion flux at low external concentrations, suggesting diffusion-controlled uptake also for P. Potential diffusion limitation in P uptake from nutrient solutions was investigated by measuring P uptake of Brassica napus from solutions using P-loaded Al(2) O(3) nanoparticles as mobile P buffer. At constant, low free phosphate concentration, plant P uptake increased up to eightfold and that of passive, diffusion-based samplers up to 40-fold. This study represents the first experimental evidence of diffusion-limited P uptake by plant roots from nutrient solution. The Michaelis constant of the free phosphate ion obtained in unbuffered solutions (K(m) = 10.4 µmol L(-1) ) was 20-fold larger than in the buffered system (K(m) ∼0.5 µmol L(-1) ), indicating that K(m) s determined in unbuffered solutions do not represent the transporter affinity. Increases in the P uptake efficiency of plants by increasing the carrier affinity are therefore unlikely, while increased root surface area or exudation of P-solubilizing compounds are more likely to enhance P uptake. Furthermore, our results highlight the important role natural nanoparticles may have in plant P nutrition.

Investigating the contribution of the phosphate transport pathway to arsenic accumulation in rice

Arsenic (As) accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa) may pose a significant health risk to consumers. Plants take up different As species using various pathways. Here, we investigated the contribution of the phosphate (Pi) transport pathway to As accumulation in rice grown hydroponically or under flooded soil conditions. In hydroponic experiments, a rice mutant defective in OsPHF1 (for phosphate transporter traffic facilitator1) lost much of the ability to take up Pi and arsenate and to transport them from roots to shoots, whereas transgenic rice overexpressing either the Pi transporter OsPht1;8 (OsPT8) or the transcription factor OsPHR2 (for phosphate starvation response2) had enhanced abilities of Pi and arsenate uptake and translocation. OsPT8 was found to have a high affinity for both Pi and arsenate, and its overexpression increased the maximum influx by 3- to 5-fold. In arsenate-treated plants, both arsenate and arsenite were detected in the xylem sap, with the proportion of the latter increasing with the exposure time. Under the flooded soil conditions, the phf1 mutant took up less Pi whereas the overexpression lines took up more Pi. But there were no similar effects on As accumulation and distribution. Rice grain contained predominantly dimethylarsinic acid and arsenite, with arsenate being a minor species. These results suggest that the Pi transport pathway contributed little to As uptake and transport to grain in rice plants grown in flooded soil. Transgenic approaches to enhance Pi acquisition from paddy soil through the overexpression of Pi transporters may not increase As accumulation in rice grain.

Proton-coupled high-affinity phosphate transport revealed from heterologous characterization in Xenopus of barley-root plasma membrane transporter, HvPHT1;1

High-affinity phosphate transporters mediate uptake of inorganic phosphate (P(i) ) from soil solution under low P(i) conditions. The electrophysiological properties of any plant high-affinity P(i) transporter have not been described yet. Here, we report the detailed characterization of electrophysiological properties of the barley P(i) transporter, HvPHT1;1 in Xenopus laevis oocytes. A very low K(m) value (1.9 µm) for phosphate transport was observed in HvPHT1;1, which falls within the concentration range observed for barley roots. Inward currents at negative membrane potentials were identified as nH+ :P(i)⁻ (n > 1) co-transport based on simultaneous P(i) radiotracer uptake, oocyte voltage clamping and pH dependence. HvPHT1;1 showed preferential selectivity for P(i) and arsenate, but no transport of the other oxyanions SO₄²⁻ and NO₃⁻. In addition, HvPHT1;1 locates to the plasma membrane when expressed in onion (Allium cepa L.) epidermal cells, and is highly expressed in root segments with dense hairs. The electrophysiological properties, plasma membrane localization and cell-specific expression pattern of HvPHT1;1 support its role in the uptake of P(i) under low P(i) conditions.

Roles of arbuscular mycorrhizas in plant nutrition and growth: new paradigms from cellular to ecosystem scales

Root systems of most land plants form arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbioses in the field, and these contribute to nutrient uptake. AM roots have two pathways for nutrient absorption, directly through the root epidermis and root hairs and via AM fungal hyphae into root cortical cells, where arbuscules or hyphal coils provide symbiotic interfaces. New physiological and molecular evidence shows that for phosphorus the mycorrhizal pathway (MP) is operational regardless of plant growth responses (positive or negative). Amounts delivered cannot be determined from plant nutrient contents because when responses are negative the contribution of the direct pathway (DP) is reduced. Nitrogen (N) is also delivered to roots via an MP, but the contribution to total N requirement and the costs to the plant are not clear. The functional interplay between activities of the DP and MP has important implications for consideration of AM symbioses in ecological, agronomic, and evolutionary contexts.

No evidence for competition between arsenate and phosphate for uptake from soil by medic or barley

We investigated the effects of phosphorus (P) supply on the uptake and toxicity of arsenate (As(V)) in two plant species (Medicago truncatula and Hordeum vulgare) grown in soil/sand mixes. Our initial hypothesis was that competition between phosphate (Pi) and As(V) for uptake would be observed, and that this would be the basis for the 'protective' effect of P with respect to As toxicity, as shown in solution culture. Addition of P to the soil/sand mixes did not have major effects on water extractable As, or vice versa. We observed that toxic effects of As(V) on plant growth were ameliorated by increased P in both plant species. However, we found no evidence that increased P supply reduced specific uptake of As(V) on a molar basis, so that competition with Pi could not be the basis for the effect. A more complex mechanism of protection is indicated which might relate to different Pi transport systems being expressed at different P levels.

Increased expression of OsPT1, a high-affinity phosphate transporter, enhances phosphate acquisition in rice

Most high-affinity phosphate transporter genes (OsPTs) in rice were highly induced in roots when phosphate was depleted. OsPT1, however, was highly expressed in primary roots and leaves regardless of external phosphate concentrations. This finding was confirmed histochemically using transgenic rice plants that express the GUS reporter gene under the control of the OsPT1 promoter, which exhibited high GUS activity even in the phosphate sufficient condition. Furthermore, transgenic rice plants overexpressing the OsPT1 gene accumulated almost twice as much phosphate in the shoots as did wild-type plants. As a result, transgenic plants had more tillers than did wild-type plants, which is a typical physiological indicator for phosphate status in rice.

Increased expression of the MYB-related transcription factor, PHR1, leads to enhanced phosphate uptake in Arabidopsis thaliana

Plants have evolved a number of adaptive strategies to cope with fluctuations in phosphorus (P) supply. The current knowledge of the transcriptional regulation of the P-starvation response in plants is limited. However, one MYB-related transcription factor, PHR1, is known to be involved in the P-starvation response. In this paper, we characterize a T-tagged phr1 knockout mutant and a series of transgenic plant lines which over-express PHR1 in wild type (WT) and phr1 mutant background. The knockout mutant has an altered phosphate (Pi) allocation between root and shoot; accumulates less anthocyanins, sugars and starch than P-starved WT; has a lower AGPase activity; and is impaired in induction of a subset of Pi starvation-induced genes. Expression of PHR1 in the phr1 mutant rescues the responsiveness to P-starvation and leads to WT levels of sugars and starch during Pi starvation conditions, confirming the involvement of PHR1 in adjusting carbon metabolism. Over-expression of PHR1 further resulted in a dramatic increase in the microRNA miR399d, and this resulted in changes in the transcript level for the target gene PHO2. Furthermore, over-expression of PHR1 in both WT and phr1 mutant results in strongly increased content of Pi irrespective of P regime. This shows that targeting a key regulatory element in the Pi starvation regulatory network represents a useful approach for molecular breeding of plants towards more efficient Pi uptake and assimilation.

Genetic and genomic approaches to develop rice germplasm for problem soils

Soils that contain toxic amounts of minerals or are deficient in essential plant nutrients are widespread globally and seriously constrain rice production. New methods are necessary to incorporate the complex adaptive traits associated with tolerance of these abiotic stresses, while simultaneously retaining the high yield potential of rice varieties when conditions are favorable. Significant progress in the genetic characterization of stress response pathways and recent advances in genomics have provided powerful tools for in-depth dissection of tolerance mechanisms. Additionally, tolerance of most of these abiotic stresses in rice is controlled by a few QTLs with large effects despite the intricacy of the numerous traits involved. Genetic dissection of these QTLs and their incorporation into high-yielding varieties will significantly enhance and stabilize rice productivity in these problem soils. Current efforts at IRRI and in rice breeding programs worldwide are seeking to explore diverse germplasm collections and genetically dissect the causal mechanisms of tolerance to facilitate their use in breeding. This review focuses on salinity and P and Zn deficiency as the major problems encountered in rice soils, and examines current understanding of the mechanisms involved and efforts toward germplasm improvement.

Functional biology of plant phosphate uptake at root and mycorrhiza interfaces

Phosphorus (P) is an essential plant nutrient and one of the most limiting in natural habitats as well as in agricultural production world-wide. The control of P acquisition efficiency and its subsequent uptake and translocation in vascular plants is complex. The physiological role of key cellular structures in plant P uptake and underlying molecular mechanisms are discussed in this review, with emphasis on phosphate transport across the cellular membrane at the root and arbuscular-mycorrhizal (AM) interfaces. The tools of molecular genetics have facilitated novel approaches and provided one of the major driving forces in the investigation of the basic transport mechanisms underlying plant P nutrition. Genetic engineering holds the potential to modify the system in a targeted way at the root-soil or AM symbiotic interface. Such approaches should assist in the breeding of crop plants that exhibit improved P acquisition efficiency and thus require lower inputs of P fertilizer for optimal growth. Whether engineering of P transport systems can contribute to enhanced P uptake will be discussed.

Root structure and functioning for efficient acquisition of phosphorus: Matching morphological and physiological traits

BACKGROUND

Global phosphorus (P) reserves are being depleted, with half-depletion predicted to occur between 2040 and 2060. Most of the P applied in fertilizers may be sorbed by soil, and not be available for plants lacking specific adaptations. On the severely P-impoverished soils of south-western Australia and the Cape region in South Africa, non-mycorrhizal species exhibit highly effective adaptations to acquire P. A wide range of these non-mycorrhizal species, belonging to two monocotyledonous and eight dicotyledonous families, produce root clusters. Non-mycorrhizal species with root clusters appear to be particularly effective at accessing P when its availability is extremely low.

SCOPE

There is a need to develop crops that are highly effective at acquiring inorganic P (Pi) from P-sorbing soils. Traits such as those found in non-mycorrhizal root-cluster-bearing species in Australia, South Africa and other P-impoverished environments are highly desirable for future crops. Root clusters combine a specialized structure with a specialized metabolism. Native species with such traits could be domesticated or crossed with existing crop species. An alternative approach would be to develop future crops with root clusters based on knowledge of the genes involved in development and functioning of root clusters.

CONCLUSIONS

Root clusters offer enormous potential for future research of both a fundamental and a strategic nature. New discoveries of the development and functioning of root clusters in both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous families are essential to produce new crops with superior P-acquisition traits.

Understanding molecular mechanism of higher plant plasticity under abiotic stress

Higher plants play the most important role in keeping a stable environment on the earth, which regulate global circumstances in many ways in terms of different levels (molecular, individual, community, and so on), but the nature of the mechanism is gene expression and control temporally and spatially at the molecular level. In persistently changing environment, there are many adverse stress conditions such as cold, drought, salinity and UV-B (280-320 mm), which influence plant growth and crop production greatly. Plants differ from animals in many aspects, but the important may be that plants are more easily influenced by environment than animals. Plants have a series of fine mechanisms for responding to environmental changes, which has been established during their long-period evolution and artificial domestication. These mechanisms are involved in many aspects of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, genetics, development, evolution and molecular biology, in which the adaptive machinery related to molecular biology is the most important. The elucidation of it will extremely and purposefully promote the sustainable utilization of plant resources and make the best use of its current potential under different scales. This molecular mechanism at least include environmental signal recognition (input), signal transduction (many cascade biochemical reactions are involved in this process), signal output, signal responses and phenotype realization, which is a multi-dimensional network system and contain many levels of gene expression and regulation. We will focus on the molecular adaptive machinery of higher plant plasticity under abiotic stresses.

Over-expression of the rice OsAMT1-1 gene increases ammonium uptake and content, but impairs growth and development of plants under high ammonium nutrition

A transgenic approach was undertaken to investigate the role of a rice ammonium transporter (OsAMT1-1) in ammonium uptake and consequent ammonium assimilation under different nitrogen regimes. Transgenic lines overexpressing OsAMT1-1 were produced by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of two rice cultivars, Taipei 309 and Jarrah, with an OsAMT1-1 cDNA gene construct driven by the maize ubiquitin promoter. Transcript levels of OsAMT1-1 in both Taipei 309 and Jarrah transgenic lines correlated positively with transgene copy number. Shoot and root biomass of some transgenic lines decreased during seedling and early vegetative stage compared to the wild type, especially when grown under high (2 mm) ammonium nutrition. Transgenic plants, particularly those of cv. Jarrah recovered in the mid-vegetative stage under high ammonium nutrition. Roots of the transgenic plants showed increased ammonium uptake and ammonium content. We conclude that the decreased biomass of the transgenic lines at early stages of growth might be caused by the accumulation of ammonium in the roots owing to the inability of ammonium assimilation to match the greater ammonium uptake.

Physiological and molecular evidence for Pi uptake via the symbiotic pathway in a reduced mycorrhizal colonization mutant in tomato associated with a compatible fungus

A Lycopersicon esculentum mutant (rmc) is resistant to colonization by most arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), but one Glomus intraradices isolate (WFVAM 23) develops arbuscules and vesicles in the rmc cortex. It is unknown whether the symbiotic phosphate (Pi)-uptake pathway is operational in this interaction. Hyphal uptake of (32)Pi and expression of plant Pi transporter genes were investigated in the rmc mutant and its wild-type progenitor (76R) associated with three AMF. Hyphae transferred (32)Pi in all symbioses with 76R and in the rmc-G. intraradices WFVAM 23 symbiosis. The other AMF did not colonize rmc. The Pi transporter-encoding LePT1 and LePT2 were expressed constitutively or in P-starved roots, respectively. The mycorrhiza-inducible Pi transporters LePT3 and LePT4 were expressed only in plants with AMF colonization and symbiotic (32)Pi transfer. LePT3 and LePT4 transcripts were reliable markers for a functional mycorrhizal uptake pathway in rmc. Our novel approach to the physiology and molecular biology of P transport can be applied to other arbuscular-mycorrhizal symbioses, irrespective of the size of plant responses.