Plant scientists have long known that phosphorus is a crucial component in plant growth. Biologists are now developing a better understanding of how plants detect and use that resource -- potentially leading to more efficient production of crops for food, fiber and fuel.
Plant scientists have long known that phosphorus is a crucial component in plant growth. Biologists are now developing a better understanding of how plants detect and use that resource -- potentially leading to more efficient production of crops for food, fiber and fuel.
Plant scientists have long known that phosphorus is a crucial component in plant growth. A major discovery by a K-State biologist and her lab is leading to a better understanding of how plants detect and use that resource -- potentially leading to more efficient production of crops for food, fiber and fuel.Schrick's lab focused on a specific transcription factor that regulates gene expression during development. They discovered a new kind of molecular interaction between the protein and a fat-soluble molecule that contains phosphorus, a type of phospholipid. The phospholipid binds to the transcription factor, which then regulates gene expression levels. "We've got a connection between the binding of a phospholipid to the regulatory protein and the gene expression that is actually happening as a consequence of that," Schrick said."And we have a model for how it all works. In this case, the sensing occurs through the outer layer, in the epidermis of the plant, and somehow, the plant has to figure out how much phosphorus it has available to it in order to regulate its growth." Schrick said it's important to try to develop plants that can efficiently use phosphorus because it is an essential element for all of life. The team's findings can help scientists develop crop varieties that could better use their available phosphorus to withstand drought and climate change. "This major discovery links phospholipid sensing directly with the control of gene expression," Schrick said."The significance of this work is that it reveals how plants use information about phosphate levels, from the environment and within their cells, to change which genes are turned on or off." K-State undergraduate students were co-authors on the publication, including Sophia Peery and Ashley Panagakis, biology; Kyle Thompson, nutritional sciences; and Graham Mathews, computer science. Co-authors also include Bilal Ahmad, a current doctoral student in biology; Aashima Khosla and Bibek Subedi, former doctoral students; and Thiya Mukherjee and Xueyun Hu, former postdoctoral researchers in the Schrick lab. The work in the publication is from an ongoing collaboration with the group of Aleksandra Skirycz, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Michigan State University and former research group leader at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Germany. Skirycz's lab performed the binding studies and mass spectrometry work to establish the protein-lipid interaction, while the Schrick group performed the genetic and molecular studies linking the interaction to a biological function relevant to plant growth. This research received federal funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.Izabela Wojciechowska, Thiya Mukherjee, Patrick Knox‐Brown, Xueyun Hu, Aashima Khosla, Bibek Subedi, Bilal Ahmad, Graham L. Mathews, Ashley A. Panagakis, Kyle A. Thompson, Sophie T. Peery, Jagoda Szlachetko, Anja Thalhammer, Dirk K. Hincha, Aleksandra Skirycz, Kathrin Schrick.Maize is one of the world's most widely grown crops and is essential to global food security. But like other plants, its growth and productivity can be limited by the slow activity of Rubisco, ... Scientists have found a plant gene that drives the growth of root hairs, the tiny structures that help plants find water and nutrients in the soil. The gene, dubbed 'BUZZ,' causes ... Phosphorus is a natural mineral found in fertilizer that is essential for plant growth and development, and Earth's agricultural-grade phosphorus reserves are expected to be depleted in 50 to ... Scientists discover the genetics inside legumes that control the production of an oxygen-carrying molecule, crucial to the plant's close relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The finding ...New Species of Antarctic Dragonfish Highlights Its Threatened EcosystemWhat a Submerged Ancient Bridge Discovered in a Spanish Cave Reveals About Early Human Settlement
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