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Journal Article Review Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Epublish 80 citations

PubMed: 37892125 DOI: 10.3390/biom13101443

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

Biomolecules 13(10)

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

Affiliations

  • Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 9250, USA.
  • Genetics Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom 32511, Egypt.
  • Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
  • Botany Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom 32511, Egypt.
  • Maryout Research Station, Genetic Resources Department, Desert Research Center, 1 Mathaf El-Matarya St. El-Matareya, Cairo 11753, Egypt.
  • Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh 33516, Egypt.
  • Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
  • Department of Agricultural Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Menoufia University, Shibin El-Kom 32514, Egypt.
  • Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 1391 Sandford Street, London, ON N5V 4T3, Canada. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada.

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.

MeSH

Ligases, Stress, Physiological, Glutamine, Soil, Fertilizers, Nitrogen Fixation, Glutamate Synthase, Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase, Salt Stress

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