Potassium deficiency reinforces the endodermal but not the exodermal suberized barrier in maize seminal roots
- 1Wageningen University & Research
Abstract
Potassium (K) deficiency is a widespread constraint on maize production, yet how it influences the suberized apoplastic barriers that control radial K transport in roots, and whether the endodermis and the constitutively suberized exodermis respond differently, has remained unclear. We grew maize under K deficiency in soil and across a hydroponic K gradient, with abscisic acid (ABA) and fluridone treatments, and analysed seminal roots by Fluorol Yellow 088 staining, tissue-resolved suberin chemistry of endodermis and exodermis, rubidium (Rb) flux, and RNA-sequencing with weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). K deficiency selectively increased endodermal aliphatic suberin and eliminated endodermal passage cells in soil-grown roots, whereas exodermal suberin was unchanged. Although K influx remained high, root-to-shoot Rb translocation fell sharply, consistent with K retention. A single co-expression module linked the suberin-biosynthetic genes with several K transport genes, and the suberin programme responded to exogenous ABA, indicating ABA-dependent co-regulation. Soil and hydroponic systems converged on the same endodermis-specific anatomical response. Endodermal, but not exodermal, barrier reinforcement limits K leakage from the stele in maize roots. This tissue-specific plasticity identifies the endodermal suberin biosynthesis programme, and its coordination with K uptake, as a target for improving K use efficiency.
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BibTeX
@misc{liu2026potassium,
title = {{Potassium deficiency reinforces the endodermal but not the exodermal suberized barrier in maize seminal roots}},
author = {T. Liu and K. Dittert and I. Cakmak and J. Gerendas and P. Grunhofer and V. Zeisler-Diehl and L. Schreiber and T. Kreszies},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.21.753126},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.21.753126v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Potassium deficiency reinforces the endodermal but not the exodermal suberized barrier in maize seminal roots
AU - T. Liu
AU - K. Dittert
AU - I. Cakmak
AU - J. Gerendas
AU - P. Grunhofer
AU - V. Zeisler-Diehl
AU - L. Schreiber
AU - T. Kreszies
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/21
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.21.753126
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.21.753126v1
AB - Potassium (K) deficiency is a widespread constraint on maize production, yet how it influences the suberized apoplastic barriers that control radial K transport in roots, and whether the endodermis and the constitutively suberized exodermis respond differently, has remained unclear. We grew maize under K deficiency in soil and across a hydroponic K gradient, with abscisic acid (ABA) and fluridone treatments, and analysed seminal roots by Fluorol Yellow 088 staining, tissue-resolved suberin chemistry of endodermis and exodermis, rubidium (Rb) flux, and RNA-sequencing with weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). K deficiency selectively increased endodermal aliphatic suberin and eliminated endodermal passage cells in soil-grown roots, whereas exodermal suberin was unchanged. Although K influx remained high, root-to-shoot Rb translocation fell sharply, consistent with K retention. A single co-expression module linked the suberin-biosynthetic genes with several K transport genes, and the suberin programme responded to exogenous ABA, indicating ABA-dependent co-regulation. Soil and hydroponic systems converged on the same endodermis-specific anatomical response. Endodermal, but not exodermal, barrier reinforcement limits K leakage from the stele in maize roots. This tissue-specific plasticity identifies the endodermal suberin biosynthesis programme, and its coordination with K uptake, as a target for improving K use efficiency.
ER -