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Can genetic manipulation of plant nitrogen assimilation enzymes result in increased crop yield and greater N‐use efficiency? An assessment
Author(s) -
ANDREWS M,
LEA P J,
RAVEN J A,
LINDSEY K
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.2004.tb00356.x
Subject(s) - nitrate reductase , biology , nitrogen assimilation , glutamate synthase , glutamine synthetase , nitrite reductase , agronomy , shoot , assimilation (phonology) , population , oryza sativa , crop , crop yield , enzyme , horticulture , botany , glutamine , biochemistry , amino acid , linguistics , philosophy , demography , sociology , gene
Summary The literature on the relations between plant nitrogen (N) assimilation enzymes and plant/crop N assimilation, growth and yield is reviewed to assess if genetic manipulation of the activities of N assimilation enzymes can result in increased yield and/or increased N use efficiency. The available data indicate that (I) levels of N assimilation enzymes do not limit primary N assimilation and hence yield; (II) root or shoot nitrate assimilation can have advantages under specific environmental conditions; (III) for cereals, cytosolic glutamine synthetase (GS1) is a key enzyme in the mobilisation of N from senescing leaves and its activity in senescing leaves is positively related to yield; and (TV) for rice (Oryza sativd) , NADH‐glutamate synthase (NADH‐GOGAT) is important in the utilisation of N in grain filling and its activity in developing grains is positively related to yield. In our opinion, selection of plants, from either a genetically manipulated population or genetic resources, with expression of nitrate reductase/nitrite reductase primarily in the root or shoot should increase plant/crop growth and hence yield under specific environmental conditions. In addition for cereals the selection of plants with high GS1 in senescing leaves and in some cases high NADH‐GOGAT in developing grains could help maximise the retrieval of plant N in seeds.