Researchers in plant science have long acknowledged the vital role of phosphorus in the growth of plants. A significant finding from a K-State biologist and her team is enhancing our understanding of how plants identify and utilize this essential nutrient—potentially improving crop yields for food, textiles, and biofuels.
A research team, led by Kathrin Schrick, an associate professor of biology, recently shared their findings in the journal New Phytologist.
Schrick’s team studied a specific transcription factor that plays a part in regulating gene expression during plant development. They identified a novel type of interaction between this protein and a fat-soluble molecule that contains phosphorus, known as a phospholipid. This phospholipid attaches to the transcription factor, which then influences the levels of gene expression.
“We’ve established a link between the attachment of a phospholipid to the regulatory protein and the resulting gene expression,” Schrick explained. “We have a model illustrating how this process works. In this instance, sensing occurs through the plant’s outer layer, the epidermis, and the plant must determine its available phosphorus to adjust its growth accordingly.”
According to Schrick, it is crucial to create plants that make optimal use of phosphorus, as this element is pivotal for all living organisms. The insights gained from this research could assist scientists in developing crop strains better adapted to utilize their phosphorus efficiently, which is essential for enduring drought scenarios and climate change.
“This groundbreaking discovery establishes a direct connection between phospholipid sensing and the regulation of gene expression,” Schrick stated. “The importance of this work lies in its demonstration of how plants interpret information regarding phosphate availability from both external environments and their internal systems to modulate gene activity.”
K-State undergraduate students, including Sophia Peery and Ashley Panagakis (both biology majors), Kyle Thompson (nutritional sciences), and Graham Mathews (computer science), contributed as co-authors on this publication. Additional co-authors include Bilal Ahmad, a current doctoral student in biology, along with former doctoral students Aashima Khosla and Bibek Subedi, and former postdoctoral researchers Thiya Mukherjee and Xueyun Hu from Schrick’s lab.
This research 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 group leader at Germany’s Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology. Skirycz’s lab conducted binding studies and mass spectrometry to define the interaction between the protein and lipid, while Schrick’s group undertook the genetic and molecular investigations that link this interaction to functions significant for plant growth.
The study was supported by federal funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at the National Institutes of Health, and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
