Abstract
Background
It is an integral property of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) to extensively release biological nitrification inhibitors (BNIs) under NH4+ nutrition, in comparison to NO3− nutrition. Our previous research indicated that plasma membrane (PM) H+-ATPase activity was stimulated by NH4+ and low rhizosphere pH, which in turn provided the driving force for BNIs release from sorghum roots. However, the regulatory mechanism of PM H+-ATPase itself in this regard is not fully elucidated. The present study thus aims at post-translational regulation of PM H+-ATPase via phosphorylation in response to NH4+ nutrition and its functional link to the release of BNIs from sorghum roots.
Methods
A hydroponic system is used to grow sorghum with 1 mM NH4+ or NO3− as N source at pH 3.0 or pH 7.0 in root medium for the analysis of PM H+-ATPase and BNIs release. The effect of NH4+ on the regulation of PM H+-ATPase was further evaluated by the treatment of NO3−cultivated sorghum roots with different NH4+ concentrations (0.1~1 mM). In addition, fusicoccin (a stimulator of PM H+-ATPase) and vanadate (an inhibitor of PM H+-ATPase) were added to check the effect of PM H+-ATPase phosphorylation on BNIs release. Further, methionine sulphoximine (MSX), which inhibits glutamine synthetase, is used to analyze the effect of ammonium transport/assimilation process on the PM H+-ATPase and BNIs release. Microsomal membrane protein isolated from these roots was used for the test of PM H+-ATPase phosphorylation level by western blot technique. Meanwhile, the root exudates were collected for the analysis of BNIs.
Results
Higher amount of PM H+-ATPase protein with higher phosphorylation level were detected in sorghum roots in response to NH4+ and low rhizosphere pH, as compared to NO3− and high pH. Further, PM H+-ATPase protein amount and phosporylation level were dependent on the local supplement of NH4+ (from 0.1 ~ 1 mM) to roots. Nevertheless, the enhanced posphorylation level under all of these treatments was significantly higher than the enhanced protein level of PM H+ ATPase. Unlike protein level, phosphorylation level is closely correlated to the release of BNIs from sorghum roots. In addition, phosphorylation level of PM H+-ATPase adjusted by fusicoccin or vanadate directly affected the release of BNIs, irrespective of the protein level. In addition, ammonium assimilation inhibitor MSX caused decreased phosphorylation level of PM H+-ATPase without affecting the protein level, meanwhile inhibited the release of BNIs from sorghum roots.
Conclusion
Our research suggests that phosphorylation of PM H+-ATPase is one of the important regulation mechanisms involved in the release of BNIs from sorghum roots. NH4+ stimulated PM H+-ATPase phosphorylation via excessive H+ generated by NH4+ assimilation in cytoplasm. The up regulation of PM H+-ATPase at post-translational level thus activated the H+ pumping activity to provide the driving force for BNIs release. A new hypothesis is proposed to elucidate the interplay of these functionally inter-linked processes involving ammonium-uptake, −assimilation, and H+-pumps activation in PM on the release of BNIs from sorghum roots.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abbasi MK, Adams WA (1998) Loss of nitrogen in compacted grassland soil by simultaneous nitrification and denitrification. Plant Soil 200:265–277
Amberger A (1989) Research on dicyandiamide as a nitrification inhibitor and future outlook. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 20:1933–1955
Arango M, Gevaudant F, Oufattole M, Boutry M (2003) The plasma membrane proton pump ATPase: the significance of gene subfamilies. Planta 216:355–365
Coskun D, Britto DT, Shi WM, Kronzucker HJ (2017) Nitrogen transformations inmodern agriculture and the role of biological nitrification inhibition. Nature Plants 3:17074
Di T, Afzal MR, Yoshihashi T, Deshpande S, Zhu Y, Subbarao GV (2018) Further insights into underlying mechanisms for the release of biological nitrification inhibitors from sorghum roots. Plant Soil 423:99–110
Falhof J, Pedersen JT, Fuglsang AT, Palmgren M (2016) Plasma membrane H+-ATPase regulation in the center of plant physiology. Mol Plant 9:323–337
Fuglsang AT, Guo Y, Cuin TA, Qiu Q, Song C, Kristiansen KA, Bych K, Schulz A, Shabala S, Schumaker KS, Palmgren MG, Zhu JK (2007) Arabidopsis protein kinase PKS5 inhibits the plasma membrane H+-ATPase by preventing interaction with 14-3-3 protein. Plant Cell 19:1617–1634
Gevaudant F, Duby G, von Stedingk E, Zhao R, Morsomme P, Boutry M (2007) Expression of a constitutively activated plasma membrane H+-ATPase alters plant development and increases salt tolerance. Plant Physiol 144:1763–1776
Haruta M, Gray WM, Sussman MR (2015) Regulation of the plasma membrane proton pump (H+-ATPase) by phosphorylation. Curr Opin Plant Biol 28:68–75
Hayashi Y, Nakamura S, Takemiya A, Takahashi Y, Shimazaki K, Kinoshita T (2010) Biochemical characterization of in vitro phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase. Plant Cell Physiol 51:1186–1196
Haynes RJ, Goh KM (1978) Ammonium and nitrate nutrition of plants. Biol Rev 53:465–510
Hossain AKMZ, Subbarao GV, Pearse SJ, Gopalakrishnan S, Ito O, Ishikawa T, Kawano N, Nakahara K, Yoshihashi T, Ono Yoshida MH (2008) Detection, isolation and characterization of a root-exuded compound, methyl 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) propionate, responsible for biological nitrification inhibition by sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor). New Phytol 180:442–451
Inoue S, Kinoshita T (2017) Blue light regulation of stomatal opening and the plasma membrane H+ -ATPase. Plant Physiol 174:531–538
Johansson F, Sommarin M, Larsson C (1993) Fusicoccin activates the plasma membrane H+-ATPase by a mechanism involving the C terminal inhibitory domain. Plant Cell 5:321–327
Kirk GJD, Kronzucker HJ (2005) The potential for nitrification and nitrate uptake in the rhizospheres of wetland plants: a modelling study. Ann Bot 96:639–646
Laemmli UK (1970) Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature 227:680–685
Larsson C (1985) Plasma membrane. In: Linskens HF, Jackson JF (eds) Modern methods of plant analysis. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp 85–104
Maathuis FJ, Filatov V, Herzyk P, Krijger GC, Axelsen KB, Chen S, Green BJ, Li Y, Madagan KL, Sanchez-Fernandez R, Forde BG, Palmgren MG, Rea PA, Williams LE, Sanders D, Amtmann A (2003) Transcriptome analysis of root transporters reveals participation of multiple gene families in the response to cation stress. Plant J 35:675–692
Marschner H. 1995. Mineral Nutrition of Plants, 2nd ed. Academic Press, London.
Meinshausen M, Meinshausen N, Hare W, Raper SCB, Frieler K, Knutti R, Frame DJ, Allen MR (2009) Greenhouse-gas emission targets for limiting global warming to 2°C. Nature 458:1158–1162
Mengel K, Robin P, Salsac L (1983) Nitrate reductase activity in shoots and roots of maize seedlings as affected by the form of nitrogen nutrition and the pH of the nutrient solution. Plant Physiol 71:618–622
Menz J, Li Z, Schulze WX, Ludewig U (2016) Early nitrogen-deprivation responses in Arabidopsis root reveal distinct differences on transcriptome and (phospho-) proteome levels between nitrate and ammonium nutrition. Plant J 88:717–734
Niittylä T, Fuglsang AT, Palmgren MG, Frommer WB, Schulze WX (2007) Temporal analysis of sucrose-induced phosphorylation changes in plasma membrane proteins of Arabidopsis. Mol Cell Proteomics 6:1711–1726
Okumura M, Inoue S, Takahashi K, Ishizaki K, Kohchi T, Kinoshita T (2012) Characterization of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. Plant Physiol 159:826–834
Palmgren MG (2001) Plant plasma membrane H+-ATPases: powerhouses for nutrient uptake. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 52:817–845
Palmgren M, Harper J (1999) Pumping with plant P-type ATPases. J Exptl Bot 50:883–893
Palmgren MG, Sommarin M, Serrano R, Larsson C (1991) Identification of an autoinhibitory domain in the C-terminal region of the plant plasma membrane H+-ATPase. J Biol Chem 266:20470–20475
Pearson J, Stewart GR (1993) The deposition of atmospheric ammonia and its effects on plants. New Phytol 125:283–305
Pii Y, Alessandrini M, Dall’Osto L, Guardini K, Prinsi B, Espen L, Zamboni A, Varanini Z (2016) Time-resolved investigation of molecular components involved in the induction of NO3− high affinity transport system in maize roots. Front Plant Sci 7:1657
Schubert S, Yan F (1997) Nitrate and ammonium nutrition of plants: effects on acid/base balance and adaptation of root cell plasmalemma H+-ATPase. Zeitschrift für Panzenphysiologie und Bodenkunde 160:275–281
Serrano R (1989) Structure and function of plasma membrane ATPase. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 40:61–94
Slangen J, Kerkhoff P (1984) Nitrification inhibitors in agriculture and horticulture: a literature review. Fertil Res 5:1–76
Subbarao GV, Ishikawa T, Ito O, Nakahara K, Wang HY, Berry WL (2006) A bioluminescence assay to detect nitrification inhibitors released from plant roots: a case study with Brachiaria humidicola. Plant Soil 288:101–112
Subbarao GV, Rondon M, Ito O, Ishikawa T, Rao IM, Nakahara K, Lascano C, Berry WL (2007) Biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) – is it a widespread phenomenon? Plant Soil 294:5–18
Subbarao GV, Nakahara K, Hurtado MP, Ono H, Moreta DE, Salcedo AF, Yoshihashi AT, Ishikawa T, Ishitani M, Ohnishi Kameyama M, Yoshida M, Rondon M, Rao IM, Lascano CE, Berry WL, Ito O (2009) Evidence for biological nitrification inhibition in Brachiaria pastures. Proc Nat Acad Sci (PNAS) (USA) 106:17302–17307
Subbarao GV, Nakahara K, Ishikawa T, Ono H, Yoshida M, Yoshihashi T, Zhu Y, Zakir HAKM, Deshpande SP, Hash CT, Sahrawat KL (2013) Biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) activity in sorghum and its characterization. Plant Soil 366:243–259
Subbarao GV, Yoshihashi T, Worthington M, Nakahara K, Ando Y, Sahrawat KL, Rao IM, Lata JC, Kishii M, Braun HJ (2015) Suppression of soil nitrification by plants. Plant Sci 233:155–164
Subbarao GV, Arango J, Masahiro K, Hooper AM, Yoshihashi T, Ando Y, Nakahara K, Deshpande S, Ortiz-Monasterio I, Ishitani M, Peters M, Chirinda N, Wollenberg L, Lata JC, Gerard B, Tobita S, Rao IM, Braun HJ, Kommerell V, Tohme J, Iwanaga M (2017) Genetic mitigation strategies to tackle agricultural GHG emissions: the case for biological nitrification inhibition technology. Plant Sci 262:165–168
Sun L, Lu YF, Yu FW, Kronzucker HJ, Shi WM (2016) Biological nitrificationinhibition by rice root exudates and its relationship with nitrogen-use efficiency. New Phytol 212:646–656
Sze H, Li X, Palmgren MG (1999) Energization of plant cell membranes by H+-pumping ATPases: regulation and biosynthesis. Plant Cell 11:677–689
Takahashi K, Hayashi K, Kinoshita T (2012) Auxin activates the plasma membrane H+-ATPase by phosphorylation during hypocotyl elongation in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol 159:632–641
Tanaka JP, Nardi P, Wissuwa M (2010) Nitrification inhibition activity, a novel trait in root exudates of rice. AoB Plants 2010:plq014
Tomasi N, Kretzschmar T, Espen L, Weisskopf L, Fuglsang AT, Palmgren MG, Neumann G, Varanini Z, Pinton R, Martinoia E (2009) Plasma membrane H+-ATPase-dependent citrate exudation from cluster roots of phosphate-deficient white lupin. Plant Cell Environ 32:465–475
Tsehaye T, Yoshinaga H, Deshpande SP, Srinivasa Rao P, Sahrawat KL, Ando Y, Nakahara K, Hash CT, Subbarao GV (2014) Biological nitrification inhibition in sorghum: the role of sorgoleone production. Plant Soil 379:325–335
Ullrich CI, Novacky A (1990) Extra- and intracellular pH and membrane potential changes induced by K+, Cl−, H2PO4− and NO3− uptake and fusicoccin in root hairs of Limnobium stoloniferum. Plant Physiol 94:1561–1567
Wang MY, Siddiqi MY, Ruth TJ, Glass A (1993) Ammonium uptake by rice roots. II. Kinetics of 13NH4+ influx across the plasmalemma. Plant Physiol 103:1259–1267
Wang MY, Glass ADM, Shaff JE, Kochian LV (1994) Ammonium uptake by rice roots. Plant Physiol 104:899–906
Yan F, Feuerle R, Schaffer S, Fortmeier H, Schubert S (1998) Adaptation of active proton pumping and plasmalemma H+- ATPase activity of corn roots to low root medium pH. Plant Physiol 117:311–319
Yan F, Zhu Y, Müller C, Zörb C, Schubert S (2002) Adaptation of H+-pumping and plasma membrane H+ ATPase activity in proteoid roots of white lupin under phosphate deficiency. Plant Physiol 129:50–63
Zeng H, Di T, Zhu Y, Subbarao GV (2016) Transcriptional response of plasma membrane H+ ATPase genes to ammonium nutrition and its functional link to the release of biological nitrification inhibitors from sorghum roots. Plant Soil 398:301–312
Zerulla W, Barth T, Dressel J, Erhardt K, Von-Locquenghien KH, Pasda G, Radle M, Wissemeier H (2001) 3,4-Dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) - a new nitrification inhibitor for agriculture and horticulture. Biol Fertil Soils 34:79–84
Zhang X, Lu Y, Yang T, Kronzucker HJ, Shi W (2019) Factors influencing the release of the biological nitrification inhibitor 1, 9-decanediol from rice (Oryza sativa L.) roots. Plant Soil 436:253–265
Zhu Y, Yan F, Zörb C, Schubert S (2005) A link between citrate and proton release by proteoid roots of white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) grown under phosphorus-deficient conditions? Plant Cell Physiol 46:892–901
Zhu Y, Di T, Xu G, Chen X, Zeng H, Yan F, Shen Q (2009) Adaptation of plasma membrane H+-ATPase of rice roots to low pH as related to ammonium nutrition. Plant Cell Environ 32:1428–1440
Zhu Y, Zeng HQ, Shen QR, Ishikawa T, Subbarao GV (2012) Interplay among NH4+ uptake, rhizosphere pH and plasma membrane H+-ATPase determine the release of BNIs in sorghum roots – possible mechanisms and underlying hypothesis. Plant Soil 358:131–141
Acknowledgements
The research presented here is funded by Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC 31471937 and 31172035). Funding support also came from grant-in-Aid for scientific research from Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF) to JIRCAS under BNI project.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Additional information
Editorial Responsibility: Ad C. Borstlap
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Electronic supplementary material
ESM 1
(DOCX 7.11 mb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Afzal, M.R., Zhang, M., Jin, H. et al. Post-translational regulation of plasma membrane H+-ATPase is involved in the release of biological nitrification inhibitors from sorghum roots. Plant Soil 450, 357–372 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-020-04511-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-020-04511-6