NLP6/7-mediated nitrate signaling facilitates high-affinity potassium uptake and enhances tolerance to low potassium environments in Arabidopsis.
- 1Plant Functional Biotechnology, Agro-Biotechnology Research Center, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi 1-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan.
Abstract
Balancing the acquisition of the macronutrients nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) is critical for plant growth, yet the mechanisms that balance N and K acquisition remain poorly understood. Here, we show that the NIN-LIKE PROTEIN7 (NLP7) transcription factor, which mediates nitrate signaling, plays a crucial role in promoting K acquisition in Arabidopsis. K⁺ uptake activity was reduced in the nlp7 mutant and nlp6nlp7 double mutant but enhanced in the NLP7-overexpressing line. Consistently, these mutants were hypersensitive to K deficiency, whereas the NLP7-overexpressing line displayed increased tolerance. Transcriptome analysis of the nlp6nlp7 mutant suggested that NLP7 activates several critical K-related genes, including HAK5, a transporter gene essential for K⁺ uptake from soil, and SKOR, a channel gene critical for root-to-shoot transport of K⁺. Using co-transfection assays, gel electrophoresis mobility shift assays, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, we demonstrate that NLP7 directly interacts with and activates the promoters of these two genes. Furthermore, the enhanced K⁺ uptake and improved K deficiency responses driven by NLP7 overexpression were mitigated in the hak5 and skor mutants, demonstrating the significant physiological role of NLP7-induced activation of these genes. Although HAK5 and SKOR responded differently to K deficiency, both genes were activated similarly by NLP7 under K-sufficient and K-deficient conditions. Together, these findings suggest that K deficiency-induced regulation and nitrate-responsive regulation operate through independent transcriptional mechanisms but collaborate to ensure appropriate K acquisition under diverse N and K conditions, especially when K availability is limiting.
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BibTeX
@article{usuda2026nlp67mediated,
title = {{NLP6/7-mediated nitrate signaling facilitates high-affinity potassium uptake and enhances tolerance to low potassium environments in Arabidopsis.}},
author = {Kosuke Usuda and Mailun Yang and Namie Ohtsuki and Nana Sugimura and Daiki Teshima and Yasuhito Sakuraba and Shuichi Yanagisawa},
journal = {The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1111/tpj.71172},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42876078},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - NLP6/7-mediated nitrate signaling facilitates high-affinity potassium uptake and enhances tolerance to low potassium environments in Arabidopsis.
AU - Kosuke Usuda
AU - Mailun Yang
AU - Namie Ohtsuki
AU - Nana Sugimura
AU - Daiki Teshima
AU - Yasuhito Sakuraba
AU - Shuichi Yanagisawa
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology
DO - 10.1111/tpj.71172
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42876078
AB - Balancing the acquisition of the macronutrients nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) is critical for plant growth, yet the mechanisms that balance N and K acquisition remain poorly understood. Here, we show that the NIN-LIKE PROTEIN7 (NLP7) transcription factor, which mediates nitrate signaling, plays a crucial role in promoting K acquisition in Arabidopsis. K⁺ uptake activity was reduced in the nlp7 mutant and nlp6nlp7 double mutant but enhanced in the NLP7-overexpressing line. Consistently, these mutants were hypersensitive to K deficiency, whereas the NLP7-overexpressing line displayed increased tolerance. Transcriptome analysis of the nlp6nlp7 mutant suggested that NLP7 activates several critical K-related genes, including HAK5, a transporter gene essential for K⁺ uptake from soil, and SKOR, a channel gene critical for root-to-shoot transport of K⁺. Using co-transfection assays, gel electrophoresis mobility shift assays, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, we demonstrate that NLP7 directly interacts with and activates the promoters of these two genes. Furthermore, the enhanced K⁺ uptake and improved K deficiency responses driven by NLP7 overexpression were mitigated in the hak5 and skor mutants, demonstrating the significant physiological role of NLP7-induced activation of these genes. Although HAK5 and SKOR responded differently to K deficiency, both genes were activated similarly by NLP7 under K-sufficient and K-deficient conditions. Together, these findings suggest that K deficiency-induced regulation and nitrate-responsive regulation operate through independent transcriptional mechanisms but collaborate to ensure appropriate K acquisition under diverse N and K conditions, especially when K availability is limiting.
SN - 0960-7412
SN - 1365-313X
ER -