Academia Sinica researchers said they have discovered an essential mechanism of how plants respond to phosphorus deficiency and excess at the microRNA level, potentially paving the way for genetic engineering or molecular breeding to improve crop yields with less fertilizer.
A team led by research fellow Chiou Tzyy-jen (邱子珍) identified two microRNAs — microRNA-399 and microRNA-827 — as effectors and transmitting molecules in phosphorus deficiency signaling that could help plants adjust to different levels of phosphorus.
Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for growth and reproduction, is used in energy metabolism and signal transduction, and regulates enzymatic activities, Chiou said.
To circumvent the limited availability of orthophosphate — the form of phosphorus available for plants to ingest — plants have evolved a repertoire of responses, the so-called phosphorus starvation responses (PSR) to increase orthophosphate acquisition and utilization, she said.
A low phosphorus environment would induce microRNA-399 and microRNA-827 to overperform and initiate the PSR mechanism by modulating the expression of genes that are responsible for the absorption and transmission of orthophosphate, she said.
MicroRNA-399 is generated by leaves and transmitted to the roots, which makes it a key player in coordinating nutrient demand and supply between shoots and roots, she said.
MicroRNA-827 is responsible for the uptake of orthophosphate by the root, and in excess quantities, can alter the root system by boosting lateral growth and root hair development and forming a symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi to absorb more mineral nutrients from soil, she said.
When there is an abundance of orthophosphate in the soil, the two PSR microRNAs underperform, thereby preventing an excessive intake of orthophosphate, she said.
The two PSR microRNAs have been found in a variety of highly evolved plants, suggesting that they have played a significant role in plants’ transmission and regulatory systems, she said.
MicroRNA-based engineering or microRNA-implemented molecular breeding could reduce the amount of fertilizers needed, which would be good for the environment because phosphate resources are limited, phosphate mining is destructive, nitrous oxide from fertilizer is a major greenhouse gas and nutrient runoff pollutes waterways, she said.
The team’s studies have been published in a variety of international journals, including The Plant Cell, Annual Review of Plant Biology and Trends in Plant Science. The research team has also been awarded Thomson Reuters Taiwan Research Front Awards.
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