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The synthesis and secretion of key substances in the flavonoid metabolic pathway responding to different nitrogen sources during early growth stages in Robinia pseudoacacia

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Abstract

Background and aims

Legumes can obtain nitrogen from mineral nitrogen and symbiotic nitrogen; however, the regulatory mechanisms by which legume plants respond to various nitrogen sources are still unclear.

Methods

Here, the flavonoid metabolism profiles of Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) in response to different nitrogen sources during the early growth stages were performed using the hydroponics method.

Results

The flavonoids were accumulated specifically responding to different nitrogen sources (symbiotic nitrogen and NO3−) in the roots and root exudates of R. pseudoacacia and showed growth-stage-dependent changes in the plant growth process. More flavonoids were synthesized and secreted under nitrogen deficiency. The differential flavonoids among different treatments were significantly enriched in the flavone and flavonol biosynthesis pathway and isoflavonoid biosynthesis pathway. Liquiritigenin, naringenin, apigenin and kaempferol were not only the metabolic nodes of these two metabolic pathways but also the key nodes in the differential flavonoid network. Therefore, these four flavonoids may be the key flavonoids of R. pseudoacacia responding to different nitrogen sources.

Conclusion

Our findings provide an important insight into the adaptability of legumes to different nitrogen environments and are of great significance for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying nitrogen utilization in legumes and will contribute to the development of sustainable agricultural practices and crop production.

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Data availability

Data will be made available on request.

Abbreviations

NF:

Nitrogen free

SN:

Symbiotic nitrogen

MN:

Mineral nitrogen

dpt:

days post-treatment

UPLC-MS/MS:

Ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

PCA:

Principal component analysis

HCA:

Hierarchical clustering analysis

OPLS-DA:

Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis

FC:

Fold change

VIP:

Variable importance for the projection

KEGG:

Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes

Chl:

Leaf chlorophyll content

SL:

Shoot length

SDW:

Shoo

t dry weight

RL:

Root length

RDW:

Root dry weight

RN:

Root nitrogen content

ShN:

Shoot nitrogen content

SD:

Standard deviation

ANOVA:

One-way analysis of variance

DFs:

Differential flavonoids

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Key Research & Development program of Shaanxi Province (No. 2020ZDLNY07-09), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41977052).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, People’s Republic of China

    Yuanli Li, Yongrui Shen, Rui Shi, Ziyi Yang, Yifu Chen, Wen Luo, Gehong Wei & Minxia Chou

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  1. Yuanli Li
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Li, Y., Shen, Y., Shi, R. et al. The synthesis and secretion of key substances in the flavonoid metabolic pathway responding to different nitrogen sources during early growth stages in Robinia pseudoacacia. Plant Soil 494, 373–393 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-023-06286-y

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