Function, transport, and regulation of amino acids: What is missing in rice?

Amino acids are essential plant compounds serving as the building blocks of proteins, the predominant forms of nitrogen (N) distribution, and signaling molecules. Plant amino acids derive from root acquisition, nitrate reduction, and ammonium assimilation. Many amino acid transporters (AATs) mediati...

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Main Authors: Nan Guo, Shunan Zhang, Mingji Gu, Guohua Xu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2021-06-01
Series:Crop Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214514121000775
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spelling doaj-49813c58b3ae4bf98609758fd825a4872021-06-11T05:14:39ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Crop Journal2214-51412021-06-0193530542Function, transport, and regulation of amino acids: What is missing in rice?Nan Guo0Shunan Zhang1Mingji Gu2Guohua Xu3Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China; State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, MOA Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilization in Lower-Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, MOA Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilization in Lower-Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, MOA Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilization in Lower-Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, MOA Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilization in Lower-Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China; Corresponding author.Amino acids are essential plant compounds serving as the building blocks of proteins, the predominant forms of nitrogen (N) distribution, and signaling molecules. Plant amino acids derive from root acquisition, nitrate reduction, and ammonium assimilation. Many amino acid transporters (AATs) mediating transfer processes of amino acids have been functionally characterized in Arabidopsis, whereas the function and regulation of the vast majority of AATs in rice (Oryza sativa L.) and other crops remain unknown. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of amino acids in the rhizosphere and in metabolism. We describe their function as signal molecules and in regulating plant architecture, flowering time, and defense against abiotic stress and pathogen attack. AATs not only function in root acquisition and translocation of amino acids from source to sink organs, regulating N uptake and use efficiency, but also as transporters of non-amino acid substrates or as amino acid sensors. Several AAT genes show natural variations in their promoter and coding regions that are associated with altered uptake rate of amino acids, grain N content, and tiller number. Development of an amino acid transfer model in plants will advance the manipulation of AATs for improving rice architecture, grain yield and quality, and N-use efficiency.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214514121000775Amino acidsAmino acid transporterGrain qualityNitrogen uptake efficiencyNitrogen utilization efficiencyRice architecture
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Nan Guo
Shunan Zhang
Mingji Gu
Guohua Xu
spellingShingle Nan Guo
Shunan Zhang
Mingji Gu
Guohua Xu
Function, transport, and regulation of amino acids: What is missing in rice?
Crop Journal
Amino acids
Amino acid transporter
Grain quality
Nitrogen uptake efficiency
Nitrogen utilization efficiency
Rice architecture
author_facet Nan Guo
Shunan Zhang
Mingji Gu
Guohua Xu
author_sort Nan Guo
title Function, transport, and regulation of amino acids: What is missing in rice?
title_short Function, transport, and regulation of amino acids: What is missing in rice?
title_full Function, transport, and regulation of amino acids: What is missing in rice?
title_fullStr Function, transport, and regulation of amino acids: What is missing in rice?
title_full_unstemmed Function, transport, and regulation of amino acids: What is missing in rice?
title_sort function, transport, and regulation of amino acids: what is missing in rice?
publisher KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
series Crop Journal
issn 2214-5141
publishDate 2021-06-01
description Amino acids are essential plant compounds serving as the building blocks of proteins, the predominant forms of nitrogen (N) distribution, and signaling molecules. Plant amino acids derive from root acquisition, nitrate reduction, and ammonium assimilation. Many amino acid transporters (AATs) mediating transfer processes of amino acids have been functionally characterized in Arabidopsis, whereas the function and regulation of the vast majority of AATs in rice (Oryza sativa L.) and other crops remain unknown. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of amino acids in the rhizosphere and in metabolism. We describe their function as signal molecules and in regulating plant architecture, flowering time, and defense against abiotic stress and pathogen attack. AATs not only function in root acquisition and translocation of amino acids from source to sink organs, regulating N uptake and use efficiency, but also as transporters of non-amino acid substrates or as amino acid sensors. Several AAT genes show natural variations in their promoter and coding regions that are associated with altered uptake rate of amino acids, grain N content, and tiller number. Development of an amino acid transfer model in plants will advance the manipulation of AATs for improving rice architecture, grain yield and quality, and N-use efficiency.
topic Amino acids
Amino acid transporter
Grain quality
Nitrogen uptake efficiency
Nitrogen utilization efficiency
Rice architecture
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214514121000775
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