TY - JOUR
T1 - Cytosolic glutamine synthetase
T2 - a target for improvement of crop nitrogen use efficiency?
AU - Thomsen, Hanne Cecilie
AU - Eriksson, Ulf Dennis
AU - Møller, Inge Skrumsager
AU - Schjørring, Jan Kofod
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Overexpression of the cytosolic enzyme glutamine synthetase 1 (GS1) has been investigated in numerous cases with the goal of improving crop nitrogen use efficiency. However, the outcome has generally been inconsistent. Here, we review possible reasons underlying the lack of success and conclude that GS1 activity may be downregulated via a chain of processes elicited by metabolic imbalances and environmental constraints. We suggest that a pivotal role of GS1 may be related to the maintenance of essential nitrogen (N) flows and internal N sensing during critical stages of plant development. A number of more refined overexpression strategies exploiting gene stacking combined with tissue and cell specific targeting to overcome metabolic bottlenecks are considered along with their potential in relation to new N management strategies.
AB - Overexpression of the cytosolic enzyme glutamine synthetase 1 (GS1) has been investigated in numerous cases with the goal of improving crop nitrogen use efficiency. However, the outcome has generally been inconsistent. Here, we review possible reasons underlying the lack of success and conclude that GS1 activity may be downregulated via a chain of processes elicited by metabolic imbalances and environmental constraints. We suggest that a pivotal role of GS1 may be related to the maintenance of essential nitrogen (N) flows and internal N sensing during critical stages of plant development. A number of more refined overexpression strategies exploiting gene stacking combined with tissue and cell specific targeting to overcome metabolic bottlenecks are considered along with their potential in relation to new N management strategies.
KW - Glutamine synthetase
KW - Nitrogen
KW - Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE)
KW - Overexpression
KW - Regulation
U2 - 10.1016/j.tplants.2014.06.002
DO - 10.1016/j.tplants.2014.06.002
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 25017701
AN - SCOPUS:84908174442
SN - 1360-1385
VL - 19
SP - 656
EP - 663
JO - Trends in Plant Science
JF - Trends in Plant Science
IS - 10
ER -