Plasma membrane H+-ATPase overexpression increases rice yield via simultaneous enhancement of nutrient uptake and photosynthesis

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 12; no. 1; pp. 735 - 12
• Main Authors: Zhang, Maoxing, Wang, Yin, Chen, Xi, Xu, Feiyun, Ding, Ming, Ye, Wenxiu, Kawai, Yuya, Toda, Yosuke, Hayashi, Yuki, Suzuki, Takamasa, Zeng, Houqing, Xiao, Liang, Xiao, Xin, Xu, Jin, Guo, Shiwei, Yan, Feng, Shen, Qirong, Xu, Guohua, Kinoshita, Toshinori, Zhu, Yiyong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 02.02.2021; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 38; 38/91; 631/449; 631/449/447/2311; 631/449/447/2312; 631/61; Adenosine triphosphatase; Agricultural production; Ammonium; Ammonium Compounds - metabolism; Assimilation; Biological Transport; Carbon; Carbon fixation; Cell Membrane - metabolism; Crop yield; Fertilization; Food security; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant - genetics; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant - physiology; H+-transporting ATPase; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hydrogen; Leaves; Membranes; multidisciplinary; Nitrogen; Nutrient uptake; Oryza - enzymology; Oryza - metabolism; Oryza - physiology; Oryza sativa; Photosynthesis; Photosynthesis - genetics; Photosynthesis - physiology; Plant growth; Plant Leaves - enzymology; Plant Leaves - metabolism; Plant Leaves - physiology; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Plant Roots - enzymology; Plant Roots - metabolism; Plant Roots - physiology; Productivity; Proton-Translocating ATPases - metabolism; Rice; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Stomata; Sustainable agriculture
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-20964-4
• ISSN: 2041-1723

Nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) are essential elements for plant growth and crop yield. Thus, improved N and C utilisation contributes to agricultural productivity and reduces the need for fertilisation. In the present study, we find that overexpression of a single rice gene, Oryza sativa plasma membrane (PM) H + -ATPase 1 ( OSA1 ), facilitates ammonium absorption and assimilation in roots and enhanced light-induced stomatal opening with higher photosynthesis rate in leaves. As a result, OSA1 overexpression in rice plants causes a 33% increase in grain yield and a 46% increase in N use efficiency overall. As PM H + -ATPase is highly conserved in plants, these findings indicate that the manipulation of PM H + -ATPase could cooperatively improve N and C utilisation, potentially providing a vital tool for food security and sustainable agriculture. Improved utilisation of nitrogen and carbon could boost agricultural productivity. Here Zhang et al. show that overexpression of a single gene, encoding the plasma membrane H +  -ATPase 1 OSA1, is able to increase both carbon fixation via photosynthesis and nitrogen assimilation via ammonium uptake in rice.