Recent Advances in Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism in C3 Plants

Abstract

C and N are the most important essential elements constituting organic compounds in plants. The shoots and roots depend on each other by exchanging C and N through the xylem and phloem transport systems. Complex mechanisms regulate C and N metabolism to optimize plant growth, agricultural crop production, and maintenance of the agroecosystem. In this paper, we cover the recent advances in understanding C and N metabolism, regulation, and transport in plants, as well as their underlying molecular mechanisms. Special emphasis is given to the mechanisms of starch metabolism in plastids and the changes in responses to environmental stress that were previously overlooked, since these changes provide an essential store of C that fuels plant metabolism and growth. We present general insights into the system biology approaches that have expanded our understanding of core biological questions related to C and N metabolism. Finally, this review synthesizes recent advances in our understanding of the trade-off concept that links C and N status to the plant’s response to microorganisms.

Local Drivers Associated to Temporal Spectral Response of Chlorophyll-a in Mangrove Leaves

“…The spectral response of the photosynthetically active region of the leaf is characterized by a low reflectance in the visible region due to the strong absorption by photosynthetic pigments, mainly carotenes and chlorophyll-a in a range of 504 nm to 680 nm, with a high reflectance in the near-infrared (NIR) region that relates to leaf morphology [31].…”

“…Chlorophyll-a is the photosynthetic pigment in the leaf that is responsible for light energy fixation into leaf components (e.g., starch, cellulose, nitrogen) [31][32][33]. This pigment is associated with reflectance values in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum [34], the NIR [35] (in the 520 nm, 560 nm, 650 nm, 710 nm, 760 nm, 2100 nm and 2230 nm bands), and the red band (from 739 nm to 742 nm) [33].…”

Plant–Microbe Interaction: Aboveground to Belowground, from the Good to the Bad

“…The differences shown by the ABC transporter in free-living and nodule inhabiting bacteria imply that they are responsible for specialized functions in nutrient transfer and nodulation [ 83 ]. The proteome studies are indicative that bacteroids enhanced nitrogen and carbon metabolism while suppressing fatty acid and nucleic acid metabolism [ 84 ]. However, transcriptome studies observed expression of high levels of aquaporins, ATPases, metal binding proteins, nutrient transporters (carbon, nitrogen, potassium, and sulfate), osmoregulators, and regulatory proteins in the nodules [ 85 , 86 ].…”

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Different Responsive Patterns to Nitrogen Deficiency in Two Wheat Near-Isogenic Lines Contrasting for Nitrogen Use Efficiency

“…Agriculturally, crops take up N from the soil primarily in two forms: nitrate and ammonium. Meanwhile, nitrate also acts as signal molecules, inducing changes to genes involved in N assimilation and transport, like nitrate transporters (NRT), glutamine synthetase (GS), and glutamate synthase (GOGAT) [ 12 , 13 ]. To make full use of N fertilizer more efficiently and economically, many agricultural strategies have been tried to reduce the amount of N fertilizer usage while maintaining normal levels of crop yield [ 14 ].…”