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Silicon accumulated in the shoots results in down-regulation of phosphorus transporter gene expression and decrease of phosphorus  uptake in rice

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Abstract

Aims

Silicon (Si) as a beneficial element can improve nutrient imbalance, but the molecular mechanism for this effect is poorly understood. The objective of this study is to examine the mechanism underlying Si-induced decrease of phosphorus (P) uptake in rice (Oryza sativa) at adequate/high P supply.

Method

A rice mutant (lsi1) defective in Si uptake and its wild type (cv. Oochikara) were used. The P uptake was compared in the presence and absence of Si and the expression of Pi transporter genes was quantified.

Results

Si addition in the nutrient solution significantly decreased shoot P concentration and uptake in the WT, but not in lsi1 mutant at two P levels, adequate (90 μM) and high (210 μM). Neither the root-to-shoot translocation of P nor the P distribution in different organs was altered by Si in both WT and lsi1. Heterogeneous expression of Lsi1 in Xenopus oocyte did not show transport activity for Pi. The expression of Pi transporter genes (OsPT1, 2 and 8) in the roots was hardly affected by Si in both WT and lsi1, but that of OsPT6 was down-regulated by Si in the WT roots, but not in the lsi1 roots. Furthermore, a split root experiment showed that Si accumulated in the shoots suppressed the expression of OsPT6. In rice grown in paddy field, lsi1 showed higher P concentration in the straw, husk and brown rice than the WT.

Conclusion

Si decreased P uptake through down-regulating the expression of P transporter gene, OsPT6 in rice and Si accumulated in the shoot is required for this down-regulation.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Grant-in-Aid for Specially Promoted Research (JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 16H06296 to JFM), the ‘Strategic Priority Research Program’ of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Nos. XDB15030302 and XDB15030202 to RFS), the National Key Basic Research Program of China (No. 2014CB441000 to RFS), Ohara Foundation for Agriculture Research and Joint Research Program implemented at the Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China

    An Yong Hu, Ji Feng Shao, Xue Qiang Zhao, Ren Fang Shen & Jian Feng Ma

  2. Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Chuo 2-20-1, Kurashiki, 710-0046, Japan

    Jing Che, Ji Feng Shao, Kengo Yokosho & Jian Feng Ma

  3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    An Yong Hu

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  1. An Yong Hu
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  2. Jing Che
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Correspondence to Jian Feng Ma.

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Hu, A.Y., Che, J., Shao, J.F. et al. Silicon accumulated in the shoots results in down-regulation of phosphorus transporter gene expression and decrease of phosphorus  uptake in rice. Plant Soil 423, 317–325 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-017-3512-6

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