Regulating Effect of Exogenous α-Ketoglutarate on Ammonium Assimilation in Poplar.

Extensive industrial activities and anthropogenic agricultural practices have led to substantial ammonia release to the environment. Although croplands can act as ammonia sinks, reduced crop production under high concentrations of ammonium has been documented. Alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) is a critical carbon source, displaying pleiotropic physiological functions. The objective of the present study is to disclose the potential of AKG to enhance ammonium assimilation in poplars. It showed that AKG application substantially boosted the height, biomass, and photosynthesis activity of poplars exposed to excessive ammonium. AKG also enhanced the activities of key enzymes involved in nitrogen assimilation: glutamine synthetase (GS) and glutamate synthase (GOGAT), elevating the content of amino acids, sucrose, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) metabolites. Furthermore, AKG positively modulated key genes tied to glucose metabolism and ATP synthesis, while suppressing ATP-depleting genes. Correspondingly, both H+-ATPase activity and ATP content increased. These findings demonstrate that exogenously applying AKG improves poplar growth under a high level of ammonium treatment. AKG might function through sufficient carbon investment, which enhances the carbon-nitrogen balance and energy stability in poplars, promoting ammonium assimilation at high doses of ammonium. Our study provides novel insight into AKG's role in improving poplar growth in response to excess ammonia exposure.

Effects of Exogenous L-Asparagine on Poplar Biomass Partitioning and Root Morphology.

L-Asparagine (Asn) has been regarded as one of the most economical molecules for nitrogen (N) storage and transport in plants due to its relatively high N-to-carbon (C) ratio (2:4) and stability. Although its internal function has been addressed, the biological role of exogenous Asn in plants remains elusive. In this study, different concentrations (0.5, 1, 2, or 5 mM) of Asn were added to the N-deficient hydroponic solution for poplar 'Nanlin895'. Morphometric analyses showed that poplar height, biomass, and photosynthesis activities were significantly promoted by Asn treatment compared with the N-free control. Moreover, the amino acid content, total N and C content, and nitrate and ammonia content were dramatically altered by Asn treatment. Moreover, exogenous Asn elicited root growth inhibition, accompanied by complex changes in the transcriptional pattern of genes and activities of enzymes associated with N and C metabolism. Combined with the plant phenotype and the physiological and biochemical indexes, our data suggest that poplar is competent to take up and utilize exogenous Asn dose-dependently. It provides valuable information and insight on how different forms of N and concentrations of Asn influence poplar root and shoot growth and function, and roles of Asn engaged in protein homeostasis regulation.

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Critical Genes and Pathways in Carbon Metabolism and Ribosome Biogenesis in Poplar Fertilized with Glutamine.

Exogenous Gln as a single N source has been shown to exert similar roles to the inorganic N in poplar 'Nanlin895' in terms of growth performance, yet the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. Herein, transcriptome analyses of both shoots (L) and roots (R) of poplar 'Nanlin895' fertilized with Gln (G) or the inorganic N (control, C) were performed. Compared with the control, 3109 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 5071 DEGs were detected in the GL and GR libraries, respectively. In the shoots, Gln treatment resulted in downregulation of a large number of ribosomal genes but significant induction of many starch and sucrose metabolism genes, demonstrating that poplars tend to distribute more energy to sugar metabolism rather than ribosome biosynthesis when fertilized with Gln-N. By contrast, in the roots, most of the DEGs were annotated to carbon metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, suggesting that apart from N metabolism, exogenous Gln has an important role in regulating the redistribution of carbon resources and secondary metabolites. Therefore, it can be proposed that the promotion impact of Gln on poplar growth and photosynthesis may result from the improvement of both carbon and N allocation, accompanied by an efficient energy switch for growth and stress responses.

Effects of exogenous L-Glutamine as a sole nitrogen source on physiological characteristics and nitrogen use efficiency of poplar.

L-Glutamine (Gln) is a proteinogenic amino acid, N transporter and NH3 carrier, engaging in diversified pathways for synthesizing many important molecules. However, the effects of exogenous Gln on plant growth and development remain largely unknown. In this study, different concentrations of Gln were supplemented in the poplar hybrid 'Nanlin895' culture medium as a sole N source. Their effects on poplar growth, photosynthesis, N metabolism-related enzymes and metabolites were elucidated. Strikingly, 0.5 mM Gln-fed poplars showed no considerable growth compromise compared to the inorganic N control (CK-N), even though their N supply level was only half that of the CK-N control. What's more, their NUE was enhanced. In addition, 0.5 mM Gln treatment significantly increased the contents of amino acids in coordination with soluble sugars in the roots, while marginal effects in the leaves were observed compared to CK-N. By contrast, applying a high level of Gln (>0.5 mM) resulted in larger accumulation of amino acids and starch, but lower level of soluble sugars, particularly in the roots, followed by adverse effects on poplar biomass, photosynthesis, enzyme activities and NUE; consequently, poplar growth was inhibited. Collectively, these findings allow us to deduce that poplar plants are competent to take up and utilize Gln as a sole N source. When applied at an appropriate level, Gln could promote a dynamic equilibrium of N and C, conferring sound growth performance and additional benefit for the environment as indicated by higher NUE, lower N input and higher biocompatible nature than the inorganic N.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Myricaria elegans: an endemic species to the Himalayas.

Myricaria elegans, an endemic species to the Himalayas, is a distinctive deciduous shrubbery plant-primarily distributed in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and adjacent regions in China. It is a kind of fuelwood, medicinal, and ecology-protecting woody plant species. In this study, the whole chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of M. elegans was assembled and characterized by high-throughput sequencing data. The complete cp genome of M. elegans was 155,245 bp in length with a GC content of 37.4%. It contained a large single-copy region (LSC) of 84,846 bp, and a small single-copy region (SSC) of 18,290 bp, which were separated by a pair of 26,053 bp inverted repeat regions (IRs). The cp genome of M. elegans was composed of 130 genes, including 85 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and eight ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that M. elegans formed a clade with Myricaria, and it showed a close relationship with Myricaria prostrata.

[Estimation of evoked potentials based on MD criterion and Givens matrix in non-Gaussian noise environments].

Traditional EP analysis is developed under the condition that the background noises in EP are Gaussian distributed. Alpha stable distribution, a generalization of Gaussian, is better for modeling impulsive noises than Gaussian distribution in biomedical signal processing. Conventional blind separation and estimation method of evoked potentials is based on second order statistics (SOS). In this paper, we propose a new algorithm based on minimum dispersion criterion and Givens matrix. The simulation experiments show that the proposed new algorithm is more robust than the conventional algorithm.