Abscisic acid influences ammonium transport via regulation of kinase CIPK23 and ammonium transporters.

Ammonium uptake at plant roots is regulated at the transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and posttranslational levels. Phosphorylation by the protein kinase calcineurin B-like protein (CBL)-interacting protein kinase 23 (CIPK23) transiently inactivates ammonium transporters (AMT1s), but the phosphatases activating AMT1s remain unknown. Here, we identified the PP2C phosphatase abscisic acid (ABA) insensitive 1 (ABI1) as an activator of AMT1s in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana).

Genome Edited Crops Touch the Market: A View on the Global Development and Regulatory Environment.

Products of genome editing as the most promising "New Plant Breeding Technology" (NPBT) have made the transition from the lab to the market in a short time. Globally, research activities employing genome editing are constantly expanding and more and more plants with market-oriented traits are being developed, and companies have already released the first genome edited crops to the market. Few countries, most of which are located in the Americas, have adapted legislations to these technologies or released guidelines supporting the use of genome editing.

DNA-Free Genome Editing: Past, Present and Future.

Genome Editing using engineered endonuclease (GEEN) systems rapidly took over the field of plant science and plant breeding. So far, Genome Editing techniques have been applied in more than fifty different plants; including model species like Arabidopsis; main crops like rice, maize or wheat as well as economically less important crops like strawberry, peanut and cucumber. These techniques have been used for basic research as proof-of-concept or to investigate gene functions in most of its applications.

Plasticity of DNA methylation and gene expression under zinc deficiency in Arabidopsis roots.

DNA methylation is a heritable chromatin modification that maintains chromosome stability, regulates transposon silencing and appears to be involved in gene expression in response to environmental conditions. Environmental stress alters DNA methylation patterns that are correlated with gene expression differences. Here, genome-wide differential DNA methylation was identified upon prolonged zinc (Zn) deficiency, leading to hypo- and hypermethylated chromosomal regions.

Molecular basis of differential nitrogen use efficiencies and nitrogen source preferences in contrasting Arabidopsis accessions.

Natural accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana differ in their growth and development, but also vary dramatically in their nitrogen use efficiencies (NUE). The molecular basis for these differences has not been addressed yet. Experiments with five contrasting accessions grown in hydroponics at different levels of inorganic nitrogen confirmed low NUE of Col-0 and higher NUE in Tsu-0.

Early nitrogen-deprivation responses in Arabidopsis roots reveal distinct differences on transcriptome and (phospho-) proteome levels between nitrate and ammonium nutrition.

Plant roots acquire nitrogen predominantly as ammonium and nitrate, which besides serving as nutrients, also have signaling roles. Re-addition of nitrate to starved plants rapidly re-programs the metabolism and gene expression, but the earliest responses to nitrogen deprivation are unknown. Here, the early transcriptional and (phospho)proteomic responses of roots to nitrate or ammonium deprivation were analyzed.

High and Low Affinity Urea Root Uptake: Involvement of NIP5;1.

Urea is the most widespread nitrogen (N) fertilizer worldwide and is rapidly degraded in soil to ammonium by urease. Ammonium is either taken up by plant roots or is further processed to nitrate by soil microorganisms. However, urea can be taken up by roots and is further degraded to ammonium by plant urease for assimilation.