Researchers Discuss Transporters and Transcription Factors Involved in Rice NUE

Experts from the University of Science and Technology of China and partners published a review on the transporters and transcription factor gene families involved in improving nitrogen use efficiency and assimilation in rice. The review is published in Transgenic Research.

Nitrogen is one of the macronutrients that govern plant growth. Excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers can lead to environmental pollution. Thus, researchers seek to improve the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of plants for sustainable agriculture. Several studies have been conducted to improve NUE in rice but there is still missing information about the regulatory mechanisms that control NUE.

The review provides comprehensive information on how rice plants detect soil nitrogen and how this detection is translated into the language of responses that control the growth. Furthermore, the transcription factors that regulate genes linked with nitrogen are presented in detail.