. 2024 Oct 3;36(10):4388-4403.

doi: 10.1093/plcell/koae184.

NIN-LIKE PROTEIN3.2 inhibits repressor Aux/IAA14 expression and enhances root biomass in maize seedlings under low nitrogen

Ruifeng Wang¹, Yanting Zhong¹, Jienan Han², Liangliang Huang³, Yongqi Wang¹, Xionggao Shi¹, Mengfei Li⁴, Yao Zhuang⁵, Wei Ren⁶, Xiaoting Liu¹, Huairong Cao¹, Beibei Xin³, Jinsheng Lai³, Limei Chen^{7

8}, Fanjun Chen¹, Lixing Yuan¹, Yi Wang^{7

8}, Xuexian Li^{1

8}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
² Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
³ Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-Breeding, National Maize Improvement Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, National Maize Improvement Center, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Joint International Research Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
⁶ College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
⁷ State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
⁸ Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.

PMID: 38917216
PMCID: PMC11448906 (available on 2025-06-25)
DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koae184

NIN-LIKE PROTEIN3.2 inhibits repressor Aux/IAA14 expression and enhances root biomass in maize seedlings under low nitrogen

Ruifeng Wang et al. Plant Cell. 2024.

. 2024 Oct 3;36(10):4388-4403.

doi: 10.1093/plcell/koae184.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
² Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
³ Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-Breeding, National Maize Improvement Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, National Maize Improvement Center, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Joint International Research Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
⁶ College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
⁷ State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
⁸ Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.

PMID: 38917216
PMCID: PMC11448906 (available on 2025-06-25)
DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koae184

Abstract

Plants generally enhance their root growth in the form of greater biomass and/or root length to boost nutrient uptake in response to short-term low nitrogen (LN). However, the underlying mechanisms of short-term LN-mediated root growth remain largely elusive. Our genome-wide association study, haplotype analysis, and phenotyping of transgenic plants showed that the crucial nitrate signaling component NIN-LIKE PROTEIN3.2 (ZmNLP3.2), a positive regulator of root biomass, is associated with natural variations in root biomass of maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings under LN. The monocot-specific gene AUXIN/INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID14 (ZmAux/IAA14) exhibited opposite expression patterns to ZmNLP3.2 in ZmNLP3.2 knockout and overexpression lines, suggesting that ZmNLP3.2 hampers ZmAux/IAA14 transcription. Importantly, ZmAux/IAA14 knockout seedlings showed a greater root dry weight (RDW), whereas ZmAux/IAA14 overexpression reduced RDW under LN compared with wild-type plants, indicating that ZmAux/IAA14 negatively regulates the RDW of LN-grown seedlings. Moreover, in vitro and vivo assays indicated that AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR19 (ZmARF19) binds to and transcriptionally activates ZmAux/IAA14, which was weakened by the ZmNLP3.2-ZmARF19 interaction. The zmnlp3.2 ZmAux/IAA14-OE seedlings exhibited further reduced RDW compared with ZmAux/IAA14 overexpression lines when subjected to LN treatment, corroborating the ZmNLP3.2-ZmAux/IAA14 interaction. Thus, our study reveals a ZmNLP3.2-ZmARF19-ZmAux/IAA14 module regulating root biomass in response to nitrogen limitation in maize.

© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement. The authors declare no conflict of interests.

Cited by

Rooting for nitrates: ZmNLP3.2 positively regulates root biomass under low nitrogen conditions through ZmAux/IAA14 inhibition.
Lorenzo CD. Lorenzo CD. Plant Cell. 2024 Oct 3;36(10):4278-4279. doi: 10.1093/plcell/koae215. Plant Cell. 2024. PMID: 39046011 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

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NIN-LIKE PROTEIN3.2 inhibits repressor Aux/IAA14 expression and enhances root biomass in maize seedlings under low nitrogen

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NIN-LIKE PROTEIN3.2 inhibits repressor Aux/IAA14 expression and enhances root biomass in maize seedlings under low nitrogen

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