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Characterization of the main magnesium transporters mediating different Mg translocation from root to shoot between Mg-tolerant and Mg-sensitive Brassica napus cultivars under magnesium deficiency stress

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Abstract

Background and aims

Magnesium (Mg) deficiency impacts many metabolic processes in Brassica napus (B. napus), leading to yield loss. However, the mechanism of Mg2+ uptake and translocation in B. napus remains unknown.

Methods

After screening 39 genotypes of B. napus under Mg-deficient conditions, the cultivars P160 and P153 were selected according to their Mg transfer factor (TF) from root to shoot. We further characterized these two genotypes under Mg-deficiency by analyzing chlorophyll concentration, malondialdehyde and peroxidase activity, and reducing sugar concentration in leaves. Additionally, we performed transcriptomics and qRT-PCR assays on P153 and P160 shoots and roots. The identified functional genes involved in Mg transport were characterized by functional assays in yeast and Arabidopsis mutants.

Results

The physiological analysis revealed that P160 (Mg tolerance cultivar; Mg-T) is more tolerant than P153 (Mg sensitive cultivar; Mg-S) under magnesium-deficient environments. Transcriptomics and qRT-PCR assays revealed that transcript levels of BnMGT1–2 and BnMGT6–1 were more significantly up-regulated in the shoot of Mg-T cultivar than that of the Mg-S cultivar under Mg limitation. Functional assays of BnMGT1–2 and BnMGT6–1 reveals that BnMGT1–2 and BnMGT6–1 are the two main functional Mg transporters mediating Mg translocation from root to shoot under low Mg conditions.

Conclusion

Mg-T is more efficient in the translocation of Mg from root to shoot than Mg-S. BnMGT1–2 and BnMGT6–1 should be the two main Mg transporters associated with Mg translocation under Mg deficiency condition, which caused the different Mg efficiency between the Mg-T and Mg-S.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by National Key R & D Program of China (2018YFD0200903), National Natural Science Foundation of China (31870587; 31400063; 31500038) and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (XDJK2017B030; SWU116021; XDJK2018C095; SWU118114; SWU115018), Research Funds of Scientific Platform and Base Construction (cstc2014pt-sy0017), and The Recruitment Program for Foreign Experts (No. WQ20125500073).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chongqing Key Lab of Bioresource for Energy, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, People’s Republic of China

    Juanjuan Sun, Shengting Li, Shufeng Wang, Zhen Zhang, Feng Luo & Nannan Li

  2. Academy of Agricultural Science, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, People’s Republic of China

    Zhongchun Xiao, Jiana Li & Nannan Li

  3. College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, People’s Republic of China

    Zhongchun Xiao & Jiana Li

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  1. Juanjuan Sun
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Contributions

JS and NL designed and conceived the study and drafted the manuscript. JS, SW and SL performed experiments and data analysis. NL, SW, HM, SL, ZZ, FL and JL coordinated the research and helped to finalize the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Feng Luo or Nannan Li.

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Responsible Editor: Ismail Cakmak.

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Highlight: Physiological and transcriptomic comparison of two Brassica napus cultivars and transgenic analysis revealed that BnMGT1-2 and BnMGT6-1 are the two main Mg transporters uniquely associated with response to Mg deficiency tolerance

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Sun, J., Li, S., Wang, S. et al. Characterization of the main magnesium transporters mediating different Mg translocation from root to shoot between Mg-tolerant and Mg-sensitive Brassica napus cultivars under magnesium deficiency stress. Plant Soil 445, 453–468 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-019-04303-7

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