Abstract
Sustainable development of cellular organisms depends on a precise coordination between the carbon and nitrogen metabolisms within the living system. Inorganic N is assimilated into amino acids which serve as an important N source for various regulatory metabolic pathways in plants. This study investigates the role of amino acids in C/N balance by examining changes in amino acid profile in the leaves and roots of low-N-tolerant (PHEM-2) and low-N-sensitive (HM-4) maize genotypes grown hydroponically under N-sufficient (4.5 mM), N-deficient (0.05 mM) and N-restoration conditions. N application effectively altered the level of cysteine, methionine, asparagine, arginine, phenylalanine, glycine, glutamine, aspartate and glutamate in both genotypes. Under low N (0.05 mM), the asparagine and glutamine contents increased, while those of glutamate, phenylalanine and aspartate decreased in both genotypes. However, serine content increased in PHEM-2 but decreased in HM-4. Resupply of N to low-N-grown plants of both genotypes restored the amino acids level to that in the control; the restoration was quicker and more consistent in PHEM-2 than in HM-4. Based on alteration of amino acid level, a strategy can be developed to improve the ability of maize to adapt to low-N environments by way of an improved N utilization.
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Acknowledgements
Financial support [Grant number BT/PB/02/08/2008] from the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India is gratefully acknowledged.
Author contributions
Conceived and designed the experiments: AA RP SA MI. Performed the experiments: AHG PYY. Analyzed the data: AHG AA RP IMA MI. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: AA MI. Wrote the paper: AHG AA RP SA MI.
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Ganie, A.H., Ahmad, A., Yousuf, P.Y. et al. Nitrogen-regulated changes in total amino acid profile of maize genotypes having contrasting response to nitrogen deficit. Protoplasma 254, 2143–2153 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-017-1106-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-017-1106-z