Transcriptional Regulation of Genes Involved in Zinc Uptake, Sequestration and Redistribution Following Foliar Zinc Application to <i>Medicago sativa</i>
Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient for plants and animals, and Zn deficiency is a widespread problem for agricultural production. Although many studies have been performed on biofortification of staple crops with Zn, few studies have focused on forages. Here, the molecular mechanisms of Zn tran...
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doaj-f30dd6c9918a4047b16dc24a67c6edc42021-03-04T00:04:58ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472021-03-011047647610.3390/plants10030476Transcriptional Regulation of Genes Involved in Zinc Uptake, Sequestration and Redistribution Following Foliar Zinc Application to <i>Medicago sativa</i>Alessio Cardini0Elisa Pellegrino1Philip J. White2Barbara Mazzolai3Marco C. Mascherpa4Laura Ercoli5Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56127 Pisa, ItalyInstitute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56127 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Ecological Science, The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UKCenter for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera, 56025 Pisa, ItalyIstituto di Chimica dei Composti Organo Metallici, National Research Council (CNR), 56124 Pisa, ItalyInstitute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56127 Pisa, ItalyZinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient for plants and animals, and Zn deficiency is a widespread problem for agricultural production. Although many studies have been performed on biofortification of staple crops with Zn, few studies have focused on forages. Here, the molecular mechanisms of Zn transport in alfalfa (<i>Medicago sativa</i> L.) were investigated following foliar Zn applications. Zinc uptake and redistribution between shoot and root were determined following application of six Zn doses to leaves. Twelve putative genes encoding proteins involved in Zn transport (<i>MsZIP1-7</i>, <i>MsZIF1</i>, <i>MsMTP1</i>, <i>MsYSL1</i>, <i>MsHMA4</i>, and <i>MsNAS1</i>) were identified and changes in their expression following Zn application were quantified using newly designed RT-qPCR assays. These assays are the first designed specifically for alfalfa and resulted in being more efficient than the ones already available for <i>Medicago truncatula</i> (i.e., <i>MtZIP1-7</i> and <i>MtMTP1</i>). Shoot and root Zn concentration was increased following foliar Zn applications ≥ 0.1 mg plant<sup>−1</sup>. Increased expression of <i>MsZIP2</i>, <i>MsHMA4</i>, and <i>MsNAS1</i> in shoots, and of <i>MsZIP2</i> and <i>MsHMA4</i> in roots was observed with the largest Zn dose (10 mg Zn plant<sup>−1</sup>). By contrast, <i>MsZIP3</i> was downregulated in shoots at Zn doses ≥ 0.1 mg plant<sup>−1</sup>. Three functional gene modules, involved in Zn uptake by cells, vacuolar Zn sequestration, and Zn redistribution within the plant, were identified. These results will inform genetic engineering strategies aimed at increasing the efficiency of crop Zn biofortification.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/3/476ZIP transportersnicotianaminemetal tolerance protein (MTP)yellow stripe-like protein (YSL)zinc-induced facilitators (ZIF)heavy metal transporters (HMA) |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Alessio Cardini Elisa Pellegrino Philip J. White Barbara Mazzolai Marco C. Mascherpa Laura Ercoli |
spellingShingle |
Alessio Cardini Elisa Pellegrino Philip J. White Barbara Mazzolai Marco C. Mascherpa Laura Ercoli Transcriptional Regulation of Genes Involved in Zinc Uptake, Sequestration and Redistribution Following Foliar Zinc Application to <i>Medicago sativa</i> Plants ZIP transporters nicotianamine metal tolerance protein (MTP) yellow stripe-like protein (YSL) zinc-induced facilitators (ZIF) heavy metal transporters (HMA) |
author_facet |
Alessio Cardini Elisa Pellegrino Philip J. White Barbara Mazzolai Marco C. Mascherpa Laura Ercoli |
author_sort |
Alessio Cardini |
title |
Transcriptional Regulation of Genes Involved in Zinc Uptake, Sequestration and Redistribution Following Foliar Zinc Application to <i>Medicago sativa</i> |
title_short |
Transcriptional Regulation of Genes Involved in Zinc Uptake, Sequestration and Redistribution Following Foliar Zinc Application to <i>Medicago sativa</i> |
title_full |
Transcriptional Regulation of Genes Involved in Zinc Uptake, Sequestration and Redistribution Following Foliar Zinc Application to <i>Medicago sativa</i> |
title_fullStr |
Transcriptional Regulation of Genes Involved in Zinc Uptake, Sequestration and Redistribution Following Foliar Zinc Application to <i>Medicago sativa</i> |
title_full_unstemmed |
Transcriptional Regulation of Genes Involved in Zinc Uptake, Sequestration and Redistribution Following Foliar Zinc Application to <i>Medicago sativa</i> |
title_sort |
transcriptional regulation of genes involved in zinc uptake, sequestration and redistribution following foliar zinc application to <i>medicago sativa</i> |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Plants |
issn |
2223-7747 |
publishDate |
2021-03-01 |
description |
Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient for plants and animals, and Zn deficiency is a widespread problem for agricultural production. Although many studies have been performed on biofortification of staple crops with Zn, few studies have focused on forages. Here, the molecular mechanisms of Zn transport in alfalfa (<i>Medicago sativa</i> L.) were investigated following foliar Zn applications. Zinc uptake and redistribution between shoot and root were determined following application of six Zn doses to leaves. Twelve putative genes encoding proteins involved in Zn transport (<i>MsZIP1-7</i>, <i>MsZIF1</i>, <i>MsMTP1</i>, <i>MsYSL1</i>, <i>MsHMA4</i>, and <i>MsNAS1</i>) were identified and changes in their expression following Zn application were quantified using newly designed RT-qPCR assays. These assays are the first designed specifically for alfalfa and resulted in being more efficient than the ones already available for <i>Medicago truncatula</i> (i.e., <i>MtZIP1-7</i> and <i>MtMTP1</i>). Shoot and root Zn concentration was increased following foliar Zn applications ≥ 0.1 mg plant<sup>−1</sup>. Increased expression of <i>MsZIP2</i>, <i>MsHMA4</i>, and <i>MsNAS1</i> in shoots, and of <i>MsZIP2</i> and <i>MsHMA4</i> in roots was observed with the largest Zn dose (10 mg Zn plant<sup>−1</sup>). By contrast, <i>MsZIP3</i> was downregulated in shoots at Zn doses ≥ 0.1 mg plant<sup>−1</sup>. Three functional gene modules, involved in Zn uptake by cells, vacuolar Zn sequestration, and Zn redistribution within the plant, were identified. These results will inform genetic engineering strategies aimed at increasing the efficiency of crop Zn biofortification. |
topic |
ZIP transporters nicotianamine metal tolerance protein (MTP) yellow stripe-like protein (YSL) zinc-induced facilitators (ZIF) heavy metal transporters (HMA) |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/3/476 |
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