Plastoglobules compartmentalize nitrogen assimilation in maize
10 affiliations
- 1State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- 2State 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
- 3University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- 4Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- 5College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
- 6Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Sciences, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Plant Germplasm Resources Development, College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
- 7Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- 8Shanghai Academy of Natural Sciences, Shanghai, China. [email protected]
- 9State 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. [email protected]
- 10State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China. [email protected]
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.
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BibTeX
@article{chen2026plastoglobules,
title = {{Plastoglobules compartmentalize nitrogen assimilation in maize}},
author = {Di Chen and Lulu Gao and Shujun Li and Yiqiu Cheng and Xiaoxian Wu and Wenhao Li and Jinman Zhang and Xueling Fu and Pan Xiang and Lu Sun and Zhiteng Chen and Hua Zhang (12549) and Youliang Li and Shiqi Luo and Chong You and Linhan Sun and Xing Huang and Yidong Zhu and Zeng Xing and Wenqin Wang and He Yan (218471) and Haihai Wang and Yu Zhang and Xuewei Chen and Yongrui Wu and Yongcai Huang},
journal = {Nature},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.1038/s41586-026-10610-8},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10610-8},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Plastoglobules compartmentalize nitrogen assimilation in maize
AU - Di Chen
AU - Lulu Gao
AU - Shujun Li
AU - Yiqiu Cheng
AU - Xiaoxian Wu
AU - Wenhao Li
AU - Jinman Zhang
AU - Xueling Fu
AU - Pan Xiang
AU - Lu Sun
AU - Zhiteng Chen
AU - Hua Zhang (12549)
AU - Youliang Li
AU - Shiqi Luo
AU - Chong You
AU - Linhan Sun
AU - Xing Huang
AU - Yidong Zhu
AU - Zeng Xing
AU - Wenqin Wang
AU - He Yan (218471)
AU - Haihai Wang
AU - Yu Zhang
AU - Xuewei Chen
AU - Yongrui Wu
AU - Yongcai Huang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/03
JO - Nature
DO - 10.1038/s41586-026-10610-8
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10610-8
AB - 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.
SN - 0028-0836
SN - 1476-4687
ER -