Natural variation underlies alterations in Nramp aluminum transporter (NRAT1) expression and function that play a key role in rice aluminum tolerance.

ABSTRACT: Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a major constraint for crop production on acid soils which compose ∼ 40% of arable land in the tropics and subtropics. Rice is the most Al-tolerant cereal crop and offers a good model for identifying Al tolerance genes and mechanisms. Here we investigated natural variation in the rice Nramp aluminum transporter (NRAT1) gene encoding a root plasma membrane Al uptake transporter previously hypothesized to underlie a unique Al tolerance mechanism. DNA sequence variation in the NRAT1 coding and regulatory regions was associated with changes in NRAT1 expression and NRAT1 Al transport properties. These sequence changes resulted in significant differences in Al tolerance that were found to be associated with changes in the Al content of root cell wall and cell sap in 24

SUBMITTER: Li JY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4035919 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature