Phosphate acquisition efficiency in wheat is related to root:shoot ratio, strigolactone levels, and PHO2 regulation
Open Access
- 30 July 2019
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Journal of Experimental Botany
- Vol. 70 (20), 5631-5642
- https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erz349
Abstract
Inorganic phosphorus (Pi) fertilizers are expected to become scarce in the near future; so, breeding for improved Pi acquisition-related root traits would decrease the need for fertilizer application. This work aimed to decipher the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying the differences between two commercial wheat cultivars (Crac and Tukan) with contrasting Pi acquisition efficiencies (PAE). For that, four independent experiments with different growth conditions were conducted. When grown under non-limiting Pi conditions, both cultivars performed similarly. Crac was less affected by Pi starvation than Tukan, presenting higher biomass production, and an enhanced root development, root:shoot ratio, and root efficiency for Pi uptake under this condition. Higher PAE in Crac correlated with enhanced expression of the Pi transporter genes TaPht1;2 and TaPht1;10. Crac also presented a faster and higher modulation of the IPS1–miR399–PHO2 pathway upon Pi starvation. Interestingly, Crac showed increased levels of strigolactones, suggesting a direct relationship between this phytohormone and plant P responses. Based on these findings, we propose that higher PAE of the cultivar Crac is associated with an improved P signalling through a fine-tuning modulation of PHO2 activity, which seems to be regulated by strigolactones. This knowledge will help to develop new strategies for improved plant performance under P stress conditions.Keywords
Funding Information
- Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnógico (11160385, 1170264)
- Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (21161474, T7817120011)
This publication has 51 references indexed in Scilit:
- A phosphate starvation response regulator Ta-PHR1 is involved in phosphate signalling and increases grain yield in wheatAnnals of Botany, 2013
- PHO2-Dependent Degradation of PHO1 Modulates Phosphate Homeostasis in ArabidopsisPlant Cell, 2012
- How do nitrogen and phosphorus deficiencies affect strigolactone production and exudation?Planta, 2011
- Phosphate Utilization Efficiency Correlates with Expression of Low-Affinity Phosphate Transporters and Noncoding RNA, IPS1, in BarleyPlant Physiology, 2011
- Two rice phosphate transporters, OsPht1;2 and OsPht1;6, have different functions and kinetic properties in uptake and translocationThe Plant Journal, 2009
- The story of phosphorus: Global food security and food for thoughtGlobal Environmental Change, 2009
- Regulatory Network of MicroRNA399 andPHO2by Systemic SignalingPlant Physiology, 2008
- OsPHR2 Is Involved in Phosphate-Starvation Signaling and Excessive Phosphate Accumulation in Shoots of PlantsPlant Physiology, 2008
- MicroRNA399 is a long‐distance signal for the regulation of plant phosphate homeostasisThe Plant Journal, 2007
- Target mimicry provides a new mechanism for regulation of microRNA activityNature Genetics, 2007