A nitrate transporter 1/peptide transporter family gene impacts nitrogen homeostasis and phenylpropanoid production in hybrid poplar

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dc.contributor.authorTran, Lan T.
dc.contributor.authorMottiar, Yaseen
dc.contributor.authorIrwin, Tyler
dc.contributor.authorEfe, Mahinur
dc.contributor.authorRobbins, Samantha
dc.contributor.authorHawkins, Barbara J.
dc.contributor.authorMansfield, Shawn D.
dc.contributor.authorEhlting, Jürgen
dc.date.accessioned2026-06-22T22:44:50Z
dc.date.available2026-06-22T22:44:50Z
dc.date.issued2026
dc.description.abstractIn plants, nitrogen and carbon metabolism are tightly interconnected, and nitrogen availability often negatively correlates with phenylpropanoids that are associated with xylem formation and stress responses. A nitrate transporter 1/peptide transporter (NRT1/PTR) family (NPF) gene (PtNPF6.1), which is expressed in the vasculature, was previously found to have a genetic association with the variation in syringyl lignin content in poplar trees (Populus trichocarpa). PtNPF6.1 belongs to an evolutionarily distinct NPF superfamily with limited taxonomic distribution. RNAi-mediated suppression of PtNPF6.1 led to increases in total foliar nitrogen and amino acids related to nitrogen transport and storage in source leaves. There was also a concomitant decrease in soluble phenolics, including attenuated stress-induced production of anthocyanins and condensed tannins. The proportions of syringyl and p-hydroxyphenyl units in lignin were slightly but significantly decreased in down-regulated lines grown under high nitrogen conditions, while there was an increase in the level of ester-linked p-hydroxybenzoate groups. Together, these results suggest that PtNPF6.1 is involved in maintaining internal nitrogen homeostasis in trees, indirectly impacting the production of nitrogen-free phenolics including lignin and soluble secondary metabolites.
dc.description.reviewstatusReviewed
dc.description.scholarlevelFaculty
dc.description.sponsorshipThis work was supported by individual Discovery Grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to JE, BJH, and SDM, and by Genome Canada, Genome BC, and others for the POPCAN Large-Scale Applied Research Project to JE and SDM. In addition, this work was supported by the DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (DOE BER Office of Science DE-SC0018409) to SDM. We also acknowledge the generous support from the NSERC CREATE Working on Walls program to JE, SDM, and LTT, and postgraduate scholarships from NSERC and The University of British Columbia to LTT.
dc.identifier.citationTran, L. T., Mottiar, Y., Irwin, T., Efe, M., Robbins, S., Hawkins, B. J., Mansfield, S. D., & Ehlting, J. (2026). A nitrate transporter 1/peptide transporter family gene impacts nitrogen homeostasis and phenylpropanoid production in hybrid poplar. Journal of Experimental Botany, 77(5), 1483–1493. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erag034
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erag034
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1828/24006
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherJournal of Experimental Botany
dc.rightsAttribution-NonCommercial 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
dc.subjectamino acids
dc.subjectfertilization
dc.subjecthigh light
dc.subjectlignin
dc.subjectnitrate
dc.subjectnitrogen transport
dc.subjectpeptide
dc.subjectphenolics
dc.subjectphenylpropanoids
dc.subjectpoplar
dc.subjectCentre for Forest Biology
dc.subject.departmentDepartment of Biology
dc.titleA nitrate transporter 1/peptide transporter family gene impacts nitrogen homeostasis and phenylpropanoid production in hybrid poplar
dc.typeArticle

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