The Molecular Mechanism Underlying the Regulation of Apple Resistance to Low Nitrogen Stress by m6A-reading Protein MhYTP2 Has Been Revealed
Published:27 Jun.2023 Source:Hortic Res
Currently, excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer in apple production leads to low nitrogen use efficiency, causing resource waste and environmental pollution. Improving the resistance of apple trees to low-nitrogen stress and nitrogen use efficiency can help maintain normal plant growth while reducing nitrogen fertilizer inputs.
The study of Northwest A&F University Innovation Team for Apple Stress Resistance and Quality Improvement found that m6A-reading protein MhYTP2 improves the tolerance of apple plants to low-nitrogen stress by regulating the stability of its target mRNAs. In this study, wild-type and MhYTP2-overexpressing transgenic apple plants were subjected to low-nitrogen stress treatment for 30 d. The results showed that under low-nitrogen stress conditions, overexpression of MhYTP2 increased the urease activity of apple plants, which facilitated the decomposition of urea and helped maintain a higher nitrogen supply capacity of the plants.
This study has enriched the regulatory mechanism of apple resistance to low-nitrogen stress and provided a theoretical basis for using genetic engineering to enhance the low-nitrogen stress resistance of apples.