Plant scientists have long recognized the importance of phosphorus for plant growth. Now, a significant breakthrough by a biologist at Kansas State University (K-State) is providing new insights into how plants detect and utilize this vital resource. This discovery could lead to more efficient crop production for food, fiber, and fuel.
The research, led by Kathrin Schrick, an associate professor of biology at K-State, was recently published in the journal New Phytologist. Schrick’s lab has been studying a specific transcription factor involved in regulating gene expression during plant development. The team discovered a new molecular interaction between this protein and a phosphorus-containing phospholipid, a type of fat-soluble molecule. The phospholipid binds to the transcription factor, allowing it to control gene expression.
“We’ve found a link between the binding of a phospholipid to the regulatory protein and the resulting gene expression,” Schrick explained. “We now have a model that shows how this process works. The sensing of phosphorus occurs in the outer layer of the plant, the epidermis, and the plant must determine how much phosphorus is available to regulate its growth.”
According to Schrick, developing plants that can efficiently use phosphorus is essential because it is a crucial element for all living things. This research could help scientists create crop varieties that make better use of available phosphorus, enabling them to better withstand drought and the effects of climate change.
“This discovery directly connects phospholipid sensing with gene expression control,” Schrick said. “The importance of this work is that it reveals how plants use information about phosphate levels from both their environment and their cells to regulate which genes are activated or deactivated.”
Several K-State undergraduate students contributed to the research, including biology majors Sophia Peery and Ashley Panagakis; nutritional sciences major Kyle Thompson; and computer science major Graham Mathews. Other co-authors included Bilal Ahmad, a current doctoral student in biology; former doctoral students Aashima Khosla and Bibek Subedi; and former postdoctoral researchers Thiya Mukherjee and Xueyun Hu.
The study is part of an ongoing collaboration with Aleksandra Skirycz, an associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Michigan State University and a former research leader at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Germany. Skirycz’s lab conducted the binding studies and mass spectrometry work to demonstrate the protein-lipid interaction, while Schrick’s group handled the genetic and molecular studies that linked this interaction to plant growth functions.