Live physiology detector NMT verifies the potassium transport function of NRT1.5

Potassium and nitrogen are a large number of elements necessary for plant growth and have a positive effect on increasing crop yield. And studies have shown that the absorption and transport of K ⁺ and NO ₃ ^- are interrelated in plants; however, the molecular mechanism of coordinated transport of K ⁺ and NO ₃ ^- remains unclear.

The researchers isolated a low-potassium-sensitive Arabidopsis mutant lks2 by forward genetics because it showed yellowing under low potassium conditions. Using the mutant as the research object, the corresponding transporter gene NRT1.5/NPF7.3 was obtained and transferred into Xenopus oocytes. The NMT biophysical tester Physiolyzer ^® based on non-invasive micro-test technology was used to detect The process of K ⁺ and H ⁺ flow in living Xenopus oocytes .

This proves that: 1) lks2/nrt1.5 can act as a proton-coupled H ⁺ /K ⁺ transporter; 2) a proton gradient can promote NRT1.5-mediated K ⁺ efflux from the parenchyma of the root to the xylem. This also reveals the important role played by NRT1.5 in the transport of K ⁺ from the root to the aerial part, and also participates in the coordination process of K ⁺ /NO ₃ ^- distribution.

Professor Wang Yi has been in contact with NMT since 2008 and is one of the pioneers of NMT in China. He has witnessed the continuous development and innovation of NMT from a new technology until it becomes a necessary technology for physiological research.