Author: ["Naoki Yamaji","Yuma Takemoto","Takaaki Miyaji","Namiki Mitani-Ueno","Kaoru T. Yoshida","Jian Feng Ma"]
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Abstract
The phosphorous transporter SPDT is identified in rice; depletion of the transporter gene alters the phosphorus distribution in rice grains and leaves, suggesting that the strategy could be used for agricultural purposes. Application of phosphate-based fertilizers has become a routine agronomic practice to increase crop productivity, but at a cost. In cereal crops, some 85% of the phosphorus applied to a field accumulates in the grain as phytate, which humans and some animals cannot digest. Phytate, therefore, is excreted, causing eutrophication of waterways, the process by which nutrient-rich water is depleted of dissolved oxygen by the rapid growth of aquatic plant life. Jian Feng Ma and co-workers report the identification of a rice transporter, SULTR-like phosphorus distribution transporter (SPDT), which controls allocation of phosphorus to the grain. They find that depletion of the gene encoding SPDT in rice alters the distribution of phosphorus, decreasing it in the grain by up to 30%, and increasing it in the leaves. Importantly, the authors' field studies show that the reduction in the total phosphorus and phytate in brown rice did not cause changes in yield, seed germination or seedling vigour, pointing to the potential use of this strategy for agricultural applications. Phosphorus is an important nutrient for crop productivity. More than 60% of the total phosphorus in cereal crops is finally allocated into the grains and is therefore removed at harvest. This removal accounts for 85% of the phosphorus fertilizers applied to the field each year1,2. However, because humans and non-ruminants such as poultry, swine and fish cannot digest phytate, the major form of phosphorus in the grains, the excreted phosphorus causes eutrophication of waterways. A reduction in phosphorus accumulation in the grain would contribute to sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture. Here we describe a rice transporter, SULTR-like phosphorus distribution transporter (SPDT), that controls the allocation of phosphorus to the grain. SPDT is expressed in the xylem region of both enlarged- and diffuse-vascular bundles of the nodes, and encodes a plasma-membrane-localized transporter for phosphorus. Knockout of this gene in rice (Oryza sativa) altered the distribution of phosphorus, with decreased phosphorus in the grains but increased levels in the leaves. Total phosphorus and phytate in the brown de-husked rice were 20–30% lower in the knockout lines, whereas yield, seed germination and seedling vigour were not affected. These results indicate that SPDT functions in the rice node as a switch to allocate phosphorus preferentially to the grains. This finding provides a potential strategy to reduce the removal of phosphorus from the field and lower the risk of eutrophication of waterways.Cite this article
Yamaji, N., Takemoto, Y., Miyaji, T. et al. Reducing phosphorus accumulation in rice grains with an impaired transporter in the node. Nature 541, 92–95 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature20610 