{
  "abstract": "Efficient nitrogen assimilation is important for sustainable agriculture1, yet its subcellular organization remains unknown. Here we show that plastoglobules (PGs) in the chloroplasts of mesophyll cells function as a metabolic hub that orchestrates nitrogen utilization in maize. Nitrogen-responsive dynamics of PGs represent a conserved feature across plant species. We identify two key enzymes, nitrite reductase 2 (ZmNIR2) and glutamine synthetase 1 (ZmGLN1), specifically targeted to PGs by a chloroplast transit peptide and hydrophobic region. Cryogenic electron microscopy analysis of recombinant ZmGLN1 shows a decameric complex, enabling a metabolon with ZmNIR2 for enhanced efficiency. Among two NIR and six GLN enzymes, ZmNIR2 and ZmGLN1 are the primary PG-localized components that orchestrate sub-organellar nitrogen assimilation and dictate nitrogen use efficiency. Genetic variation in ZmNIR2 splicing in cultivated germplasm generates a PG-targeted isoform (ZmNIR2T1) that boosts NUE. Our work establishes PGs as a central compartment for primary nitrogen assimilation, providing a promising strategy to develop high-NUE crops for global food security. Chloroplast plastoglobules act as nitrogen-assimilation hubs in maize, with key enzymes enhancing nitrogen-use efficiency and offering new strategies for developing high-yield, sustainable crops.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China",
    "State Key Laboratory of Plant Trait Design, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology & Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China",
    "University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China",
    "Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA",
    "College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China",
    "Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Sciences, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Plant Germplasm Resources Development, College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China",
    "Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China",
    "Shanghai Academy of Natural Sciences, Shanghai, China. yrwu@cemps.ac.cn",
    "State Key Laboratory of Plant Trait Design, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology & Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. yrwu@cemps.ac.cn",
    "State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China. ychuang@sicau.edu.cn"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 26,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Di Chen",
      "orcid": "0009-0008-0332-4867"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Lulu Gao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Shujun Li"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Yiqiu Cheng",
      "orcid": "0009-0006-3356-7988"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Xiaoxian Wu",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1903-8151"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Wenhao Li"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jinman Zhang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xueling Fu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Pan Xiang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        0
      ],
      "name": "Lu Sun"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Zhiteng Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Hua Zhang (12549)"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Youliang Li"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Shiqi Luo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Chong You"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        0
      ],
      "name": "Linhan Sun",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1406-0568"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Xing Huang",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8283-4196"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yidong Zhu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Zeng Xing"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Wenqin Wang",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6427-6338"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "He Yan (218471)"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Haihai Wang",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5615-4215"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yu Zhang",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6118-1720"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xuewei Chen",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2465-9876"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7,
        8
      ],
      "name": "Yongrui Wu",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3822-0511"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "Yongcai Huang",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5143-9051"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6cgynyma0c9nw.bib",
  "cited_by": 7,
  "doi": "10.1038/s41586-026-10610-8",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "6cgynyma0c9nw",
  "issns": [
    "0028-0836",
    "1476-4687"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10610-8",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
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      "openalex",
      "1110|Plant nutrient uptake and metabolism"
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  "openalex": "W7163331070",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": "PMC13372680",
  "pmid": "42236940",
  "published": "2026-06-03",
  "publisher": "Nature Portfolio",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6cgynyma0c9nw.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T13:26:50Z",
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      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10610-8"
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:1110|Plant nutrient uptake and metabolism",
      "subfield": "plant-biology"
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  ],
  "title": "Plastoglobules compartmentalize nitrogen assimilation in maize",
  "title_text": "Plastoglobules compartmentalize nitrogen assimilation in maize",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T13:21:08Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6cgynyma0c9nw",
  "venue": "Nature",
  "versions": []
}