Principal investigators: Maurizio Chiurazzi
Associated with: CNR, Italy
Project Summary:
Nitrate transporter proteins are involved in the control of nitrate flux from soil to root tissues, allocation throughout the whole plant body and storage/remobilization in vacuoles. Four protein families including Nitrate/Peptide Transporters (NPF), NRT2, Chloride Channel (CLC) and Slowly Activating Anion Channel have been involved on nitrate transport in plants with the NPF and NRT2 proteins playing a major role. NPF proteins might also display the capacity to transport divergent substrates as reported for many A. thaliana members. In addition, nitrate also acts both as a signal and a nutrient in the pathways controlling locally and systemically the efficiency of SNF in legumes. We are carrying out a functional characterization of the NPF and NRT2 families in the model legume Lotus japonicus to identify members playing crucial roles in those nitrate network, hence representing potential targets for strategies aimed to an improvement of NUE and SNF.
Link(s): http://ibbr.cnr.it/ibbr/