NRT/PTR transporters are essential for translocation of glucosinolate defence compounds to seeds

TY - JOUR

T1 - NRT/PTR transporters are essential for translocation of glucosinolate defence compounds to seeds

AU - Nour-Eldin, Hussam Hassan

AU - Andersen, Tonni Grube

AU - Burow, Meike

AU - Madsen, Svend Roesen

AU - Jørgensen, Morten Egevang

AU - Olsen, Carl Erik

AU - Dreyer, Ingo

AU - Hedrich, Rainer

AU - Geiger, Dietmar

AU - Halkier, Barbara Ann

PY - 2012/8/23

Y1 - 2012/8/23

N2 - In plants, transport processes are important for the reallocation of defence compounds to protect tissues of high value, as demonstrated in the plant model Arabidopsis, in which the major defence compounds, glucosinolates, are translocated to seeds on maturation. The molecular basis for long-distance transport of glucosinolates and other defence compounds, however, remains unknown. Here we identify and characterize two members of the nitrate/peptide transporter family, GTR1 and GTR2, as high-affinity, proton-dependent glucosinolate-specific transporters. The gtr1¿gtr2 double mutant did not accumulate glucosinolates in seeds and had more than tenfold over-accumulation in source tissues such as leaves and silique walls, indicating that both plasma membrane-localized transporters are essential for long-distance transport of glucosinolates. We propose that GTR1 and GTR2 control the loading of glucosinolates from the apoplasm into the phloem. Identification of the glucosinolate transporters has agricultural potential as a means to control allocation of defence compounds in a tissue-specific manner.

AB - In plants, transport processes are important for the reallocation of defence compounds to protect tissues of high value, as demonstrated in the plant model Arabidopsis, in which the major defence compounds, glucosinolates, are translocated to seeds on maturation. The molecular basis for long-distance transport of glucosinolates and other defence compounds, however, remains unknown. Here we identify and characterize two members of the nitrate/peptide transporter family, GTR1 and GTR2, as high-affinity, proton-dependent glucosinolate-specific transporters. The gtr1¿gtr2 double mutant did not accumulate glucosinolates in seeds and had more than tenfold over-accumulation in source tissues such as leaves and silique walls, indicating that both plasma membrane-localized transporters are essential for long-distance transport of glucosinolates. We propose that GTR1 and GTR2 control the loading of glucosinolates from the apoplasm into the phloem. Identification of the glucosinolate transporters has agricultural potential as a means to control allocation of defence compounds in a tissue-specific manner.

KW - Animals

KW - Arabidopsis

KW - Arabidopsis Proteins

KW - Biological Transport

KW - Cell Extracts

KW - Evolution, Molecular

KW - Gene Deletion

KW - Gene Library

KW - Genes, Plant

KW - Glucosinolates

KW - Monosaccharide Transport Proteins

KW - Oocytes

KW - Organ Specificity

KW - Phloem

KW - Protons

KW - Seeds

KW - Xenopus laevis

U2 - 10.1038/nature11285

DO - 10.1038/nature11285

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 22864417

SN - 0028-0836

VL - 488

SP - 531

EP - 534

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

IS - 7412

ER -