Targeted mutagenesis of amino acid transporter genes for rice quality improvement using the CRISPR/Cas9 system

High grain protein content(GPC) reduces rice eating and cooking quality(ECQ). We generated OsAAP6 and OsAAP10 knockout mutants in three high-yielding japonica varieties and one japonica line using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Mutation efficiency varied with genetic background in the T_0 generation, and GPC in the T_1 generation decreased significantly,owing mainly to a reduction in glutelin content. Amylose content was down-regulated significantly in some Osaap6 and all Osaap10 mutants. The increased taste value of these mutants was supported by Rapid Visco Analysis(RVA) profiles, which showed higher peak viscosity and breakdown viscosity and lower setback viscosity than the wild type. There were no significant deficiencies in agronomic traits of the mutants. Targeted mutagenesis of OsAAP6 and OsAAP10, especially OsAAP10, using the CRISPR/Cas9 system can rapidly reduce GPC and improve ECQ of rice, providing a new strategy for the breeding cultivars with desired ECQ.

Influences of external nutrient conditions on the transcript levels of a nitrate transporter gene in Skeletonema costatum

To verify the feasibility of high-affinity nitrate transporter gene （Nrt2） as an indicator of nitrogen status, changes in the transcript levels of transcripts associated with phosphate starvation and different nitrate concentrations were studied using real-time quantitative reverse-transcription PCR （QRT-PCR） technology in batch cultures of Skeletonema costatum. The results show that compared with P-replete condition, P starvation could reduce the Nrt2 transcript levels apparently. Nrt2 transcript levels had a significant negative linear correlation with nitrate concentrations below 40 pmol/L. The results of 48 h short-term incubation experiment under different nitrate concentrations confirmed this correlation, and the following regression equation is built： y = -3.305x ＋ 98.95, R2 = 0.988, where x represents nitrate concentrations （〈40 btmol/L） and y represents the Nrt2 transcript levels.

Effect of variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism in the human dopamine transporter gene on conflict information processing according to event-related potential

The dopamine transporter （DAT） is responsible for dopamine reuptake from the synaptic cleft. A variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism in the DAT gene is related to DAT availability and has been associated with cognition. With the advantage of high-time resolution, event-related potential is an important method to study the time course of human information processing. Previous results have suggested that dopamine exhibits a close relationship with conflicting information processing. Therefore, the present study assumed that conflicting information processing could be influenced by DAT variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism. To confirm this, the present study analyzed the influence of DAT genotypes on N270, which is presumed to reflect neural activity of conflict information processing in young healthy adults. A S1-S2 matching task was performed in healthy adults with 10/10 genotype （n = 14） and 10/9 genotypes （n = 14）, respectively, when event-related potentials were recorded. Results demonstrated that subjects with the 10/10 genotype exhibited shorter N270 latency and quicker reaction times compared with subjects with the 10/9 genotype. There were no differences in N270 amplitude between the two genotypes. These results suggested that 10/10 genotype subjects more efficiently processed conflict information.

Effect of ABCB1 3435C>T transporter gene polymorphism on plasma efavirenz concentration in HIV-1 infected Thai adults

Objective:To investigate the influence of ABCB1 polymorphisms on the plasma level of efavirenz in Thai adult cases infected with HIV-1.Methods:A single nucleotide polymorphism of ABCB13435 C>T(rs1045642)in the gene encoding ABCB1 was genotyped using real-time PCR-based alleles in 149 HIV-infected Thai adults receiving efavirenz treatment.Plasma concentrations of efavirenz were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography 12 hr after administration.The relationship between plasma efavirenz concentrations and ABCB13435 C>T polymorphisms was analyzed.Results:Logistic regression analysis showed no significant predictors of high plasma efavirenz concentration in relation to age,gender,body weight,CD4 count and plasma HIV-1 RNA,blood biochemical parameters,antiretroviral duration or ABCB13435 C>T polymorphisms,except for height(OR=0.902,95%CI:0.835-0.973)(P<0.05).The minor allele frequency of ABCB13435 C>T was0.446.The frequency of the heterozygous mutant ABCB13435 C/T was 53.02%(n=79),ABCB13435 T/T homozygous mutant was 18.12%(n=21)and the wild type ABCB13435 C/C genotype was 28.86%(n=43).The overall median plasma concentration of efavirenz in 149 HIV-infected Thai cases was 2.41 mg/L[IQR:(1.46-4.12)mg/L].The plasma concentration of efavirenz was higher in cases with ABCB13435 T/T homozygous mutant[2.73 mg/L,IQR:(2.02-4.19)mg/L]and ABCB13435 C/T heterozygous mutant[2.29 mg/L,IQR:(1.41-4.28)mg/L]genotypes compared to the wild type ABCB13435 C/C homozygous[2.1 mg/L,IQR:(1.37-3.53)mg/L].However,there was no statistically significant difference in the efavirenz concentration between the different genotypes(P>0.05).Objective:To investigate the influence of ABCB1 polymorphisms on the plasma level of efavirenz in Thai adult cases infected with HIV-1.Methods:A single nucleotide polymorphism of ABCB13435 C>T(rs1045642)in the gene encoding ABCB1 was genotyped using real-time PCR-based alleles in 149 HIV-infected Thai adults receiving efavirenz treatment.Plasma concentrations of efavirenz were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography 12 hr after administration.The relationship between plasma efavirenz concentrations and ABCB13435 C>T polymorphisms was analyzed.Results:Logistic regression analysis showed no significant predictors of high plasma efavirenz concentration in relation to age,gender,body weight,CD4 count and plasma HIV-1 RNA,blood biochemical parameters,antiretroviral duration or ABCB13435 C>T polymorphisms,except for height(OR=0.902,95%CI:0.835-0.973)(P<0.05).The minor allele frequency of ABCB13435 C>T was 0.446.The frequency of the heterozygous mutant ABCB13435 C/T was 53.02%(n=79),ABCB13435 T/T homozygous mutant was 18.12%(n=27)and the wild type ABCB13435 C/C genotype was 28.86%(n=43).The overall median plasma concentration of efavirenz in 149 HIV-infected Thai cases was 2.41 mg/L[IQR:(1.46-4.12)mg/L].The plasma concentration of efavirenz was higher in cases with ABCB13435 T/T homozygous mutant[2.73 mg/L,IQR:(2.02-4.19)mg/L]and ABCB13435 C/T heterozygous mutant[2.29 mg/L,IQR:(1.41-4.28)mg/L]genotypes compared to the wild type ABCB13435 C/C homozygous[2.1 mg/L,IQR:(1.37-3.53)mg/L].However,there was no statistically significant difference in the efavirenz concentration between the different genotypes(P>0.05).Conclusions:There is no statistical significance for a tendency toward higher plasma efavirenz concentration in the ABCB13435 T/T and ABCB13435 C/T genotypes.No parameters of physiological characteristics in this study except for height were found to be predictors of high plasma efavirenz concentration in Thai HIV-1 infected cases.

Analysis of the 5' flanking sequence of the human norepinephrine transporter gene

The human norepinephrine transporter(NET) gene was cloned and structurally analyzed. The far 5’ fragment containing exon 1 (a non-coding exon) and exon 2 was sequenced. The transcription start site of the gene in human brain stem tissue was determined by primer extension analysis. It was found that the gene could be transcribed from multiple starting points. The 5’ flanking sequence contains a proximal G-C rich region, one possible GSG elemeflt and several SP1 sites. However it does not contain TATA box and CAAT box motifS. Gel shift analysis with nuclear extracts from different tissues of mouse shows that the G-C rich region may be involved in tissue specific expression of the gene.

Characterization of 5'-proximal sequence of mouse GABAtransporter gene(GAT-1)

The cDNA molecule encoding the mouse GABA transporter gene (GAT-1) was used as probe for selecting GAT-1 gene from mouse genomic library. A positive clone, harboring the whole open reading frame of the GAT-1 protein and designated as MGABAT-G, was fished out from the library, the 5’ proximal region and nitron 1 were sequenced and analysed, and low homology was found in the above region between GAT-1 genes from mouse and human except some short conserved sequences. The DNA-protein interactions between DNA fragments containing the conserved sequences in the 5’ proximal region and nuclear proteins from different tissues of mouse were studied by means of gel-shift assay, and Southern-Western blot. The results indicate a possible positive-negative regulation mode controlling the expression of the mouse GAT-1 gene.

Molecular cloning and structural analysis of human norepinephrine transporter gene(NETHG)

A cDNA molecule encoding a major part of the hu-man Norepinephrine transporter(hNET) was synthesized by means of Polymerase Chain Reaction(PCR) technique and used as a probe for selecting the human genomic NET gene. A positive clone harbouring the whole gene was ob-tained from a human lymphocyte genomic library through utilizing the "genomic walking" technique. The clone, des-ignated as phNET, harbours a DNA fragment of about 59 kb in length inserted into BamH Ⅰ site in cosmid pWE15.The genomic clone contains 14 exons encoding all amino acid residues in the protein. A single exon encodes a dis-tinct transmembrane domaill, except for transmembrane domain 10 and 11, which are encoded by part of two ex-ons respectively, and exon 12, which encodes part of do-main 11 and all of domain 12. These results imply that there is a close relationship between exon splicing of a gene and structural domains of the protein, as is the case for the human γ-aminobutyric acid transporter(hGAT) and a number of other membrane proteins.

Effect of antisense transfecting of monocarboxylate transporter gene on biological characteristics of lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells

Objective: To study the influence of transfecting antisense expression vector of the first subtype of the monocarboxylate transporter (MCT1) gene into lung cancer cells on pHi regulation, lactate transportation and cell growth. Methods: MCT1 antisense gene recombinant vector was introduced into human lung cancer cell line A549 by electroporation. The transfected A549 cells resistant to G418 were selected. Positive clones were examined by using PCR. The changes of intracellular pH and lactate were examined with spec-trophotometric method. Cell growth was studied with cell growth curve. Results: Intracellular pH and lactate were remarkably decreased in the cells transfected pLXSN-MCT1 in comparison with A549 cells without transfection (P<0. 001). The growth of A549 cells transfected pLXSN-MCTl was also inhibited remarkably. Conclusion: MCT1 gene may play an important role in pHi regulation, lactate transportation and cell growth in tumor cells.

Effects of Differential Expression of Monosaccharide Transporter Genes on Yield Formation of Virus-free Sugarcane Seedlings

The yield increase effect was analyzed by planting disease-free sugarcane seedlings, and the differential expression of three monosaccharide transport- er genes （ SGT1, SGT2 and PST2a） in disease-free and untreated sugarcane seedlings was studied to clarify the functions of these genes on sugarcane yield. The yield was increased by 27.2% by planting disease-free sugarcane seedlings. The expression levels of SGT1, SGT2 and PST2a in leaves of virus-free plants were 1 - 20 times higher than those in untreated sugarcane plants during the whole growth period. In addition, the expression levels of SGT1 and SGT2 in 1 - 8 inter- nodes of sugarcane at elongation stage and maturity stage were 1 - 45 times higher than those in untreated plants. And the expression levels of PST2a in 4 - 8 in- teruodes of sugarcane plants at elongation stage were 4 - 7 times higher than those in untreated plants, but there was no difference in expression levels at maturity stage. The functions of different monosaccharlde transporters varied among different growth stages. The three kinds of monosaccharide transporters might form a mutual cooperation network, and improved monosaccharide transport efficiency by increasing their self activity to provide more monosaccharide for cell metabo- lism, favorable for the yield increase of sugarcane stem.

Molecular evolution and functional divergence of HAK potassium transporter gene family in rice(Oryza sativa L.)

The high-affinity K＋ （HAK） transporter gene family is the largest family in plant that functions as potassium transporter and is important for various aspects of plant life. In the present study, we identified 27 members of this family in rice genome. The phylogenetic tree divided the land plant HAK transporter proteins into 6 distinct groups. Although the main characteristic of this family was established before the origin of seed plants, they also showed some differences between the members of non-seed and seed plants. The HAK genes in rice were found to have expanded in lineage-specific manner after the split of monocots and dicots, and both segmental duplication events and tandem duplication events contributed to the expansion of this family. Functional divergence analysis for this family provided statistical evidence for shifted evolutionary rate after gene duplication. Further analysis indicated that both point mutant with positive selection and gene conversion events contributed to the evolution of this family in rice.

Possible association of the 5-HTTLPR serotonin transporter promoter gene polymorphism with premature ejaculation in a Turkish population

We evaluated the genotypes of the serotonin transporter gene （5-HTT） in patients with premature ejaculation （PE） to determine the role of genetic factors in the etiopathogenesis of PE and possibly to identify the patient subgroups. A total of 70 PE patients and 70 controls were included in this study. All men were heterosexual, had no other disorders and were either married or in a stable relationship. PE was defined as ejaculation that occurred within 1 min of vaginal intromission. Genomic DNA from patients and controls was analyzed using polymerase chain reaction, and allelic variations of the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene （5-HTTLPR） were determined. The 5-HTTLPR （serotonin transporter promoter gene） genotypes in PE patients vs. controls were distributed as follows： L/L 16% vs. 17%, L/S 30% vs. 53% and S/S 54% vs. 28%. We examined the haplotype analysis for three polymorphisms of the 5-HTTLPR gene： LL, LS and SS. The appropriateness of the allele frequencies in the 5-HTTLPR gene was analyzed by the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium using the Z-test. The short （S） allele of the 5-HTTLPR gene was significantly more frequent in PE patients than in controls （P 〈 0.05）. We suggest that the 5-HTTLPR gene plays a role in the pathophysiology of all primary PE cases. Further studies are needed to evaluate the relationship between 5-HTTLPR gene polymorphism and patient subgroup （such as primary and secondary PE） responses to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors as well as ethnic differences.

Authors' response to “Maternal age as a potential explanation of the role of the L allele of the serotonin transporter gene in anxiety and depression in Asians”

In the letter to the editor, Dr. Comings et al. proposed a potential explanation of our findings that the L allele rather than S allele of 5-HTTLPR was associated with higher anxiety levels and reduced amygdala-prefrontal cortex （PFC） connectivity in Han Chinese[1], which demonstrated an ＇allele reversal＇ in the genetics of the 5-HTTLPR gene in Asians versus Caucasians. The authors alleged that this ＇allele reversal＇ might simply result from maternal age and suggested that we test this on our datasets. Unfortunately,

Biological Analysis and Response to Low Phosphate Stress of Phosphate Transporter Family 1 (PHT1) Genes in Solanum tuberosum L.

Inorganic phosphate(Pi)is one of the main nutrients necessary for plant growth.Phosphate transporters mediate the acquisition,transport and recycling of phosphate,which is essential for plant growth and development.Although PHT1 has been reported in many plants at home and abroad,it is rarely studied in potato.Therefore,it is of great significance to study the PHT1 family members in order to understand the molecular response mechanism of potato in low phosphate state.In this study,a total of 6 potato PHT1 genes were identified and isolated.It was found that after the expression of different members of potato PHT1 gene,there were certain differences in amino acids and proteins,and the transmembrane domains ranged from 6 to 12.The difference in the secondary and tertiary protein structure of potato PHT1 also led to a difference in protein morphology.In addition,the expression of the PHT1 gene in potato increased obviously during 3~9 h of Pi deficiency stress.Overall,the expression levels of different genes in roots,stems and leaves are distinctly different,but the expression levels of the StPHT1;6 and StPHT1;10 genes are very high in roots,stems and leaves,indicating that these two genes may participate in the absorption of Pi in potato and play a role in Pi translocation.These two genes play a major role in the regulation of expression under short-term Pi deficiency stress.Our results provide an important reference for further understanding the evolution and function of potato phosphate transporters,and have important significance for improving the ability of potato to tolerate low Pi.

Isolation and cloning of the gene encoding high affinity phosphate transporter in rice

High affinity phosphate transporterplays an important role in plantadapting to low phosphorus. Isolationof genes coding this kind of proteinhas attracted worldwide scholars toaccomplish. We aimed to isolate thegene and transfer it to target plants

OCTN and CARD15 gene polymorphism in Chinese patients with inflammatory bowel disease

AIM： To investigate the single nucleotide polymorphism （SNPs） distribution of NOD2/CARD15 （R702W, G908R）, OCTN1 1672CFT and OCTN2-207G/C in Chinese patients with inflammatory bowel disease （IBD）. METHODS： A total of 61 patients with Crohn＇s disease （CD）, 151 patients with ulcerative colitis （UC）, and 200 unrelated healthy controls were genotyped. Genotyping was performed by sequence specific primer polymerase chain reaction （PCR-SSP） or by restriction fragment length polymorphism （PCR-RFLP） analysis. RESULTS： Among the subjects in our study groups, including patients with CD, UC and healthy controls, none had OCTN and CARD15 variants and very rare IBD family history was found in our patients with the percentage of 0 （0/61 with CD） and 1.3% （2/151 with UC）. CONCLUSION： Our results indicate that although OCTN or CARD15 variation is associated with susceptibility to IBD in Western populations, these might be rare and may not be associated with susceptibility to IBD in Chinese patients.

Role of CARD15,DLG5 and OCTN genes polymorphisms in children with inflammatory bowel diseases

AIM: To investigate the contribution of variants of CARD15, OCTN1/2 and DLG5 genes in disease predispo- sition and phenotypes in a large Italian cohort of pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). METHODS: Two hundred patients with Crohn’s disease (CD), 186 ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, 434 par- ents (217 trios), and 347 healthy controls (HC) were studied. Polymorphisms of the three major variants of CARD15, 1672C/T and -207G/C SNPs for OCTN genes, IGR2096a_1 and IGR2198a_1 SNPs for the IBD5 locus, and 113G/A variant of the DLG5 gene were evaluated. Potential correlations with clinical sub-phenotypes were investigated. RESULTS: Polymorphisms of CARD15 were significantly associated with CD, and at least one variant was found in 38% of patients (15% in HC, OR = 2.7, P < 0.001). Homozygosis for both OCTN1/2 variants was more com- mon in CD patients (1672TT 24%, -207CC 29%) than in HC (16% and 21%, respectively; P = 0.03), with an in- creased frequency of the TC haplotype (44.8% vs 38.3% in HC, P = 0.04). No association with the DLG5 variant was found. CD carriers of OCTN1/2 and DLG5 variants more frequently had penetrating disease (P = 0.04 and P = 0.01), while carriers of CARD15 more frequently had ileal localization (P = 0.03). No gene-gene interaction was found. In UC patients, the TC haplotype was morefrequent (45.4%, P = 0.03), but no genotype/phenotype correlation was observed. CONCLUSION: Polymorphisms of CARD15 and OCTN genes, but not DLG5 are associated with pediatric on- set of CD. Polymorphisms of CARD15, OCTN, and DLG5 genes exert a weak influence on CD phenotype.

Effects of Different Nitrogen and Phosphorus Synergistic Fertilizer on Enzymes and Genes Related to Nitrogen Metabolism in Wheat

In recent years,in order to improve nutrient use efficiency,especially nitrogen use efficiency,fertilizer valueadded technology has been developed rapidly.However,the mechanism of the effect of synergistic fertilizer on plant nitrogen utilization is not clear.A study was,therefore,conducted to explore the activities and gene expression of key enzymes for nitrogen assimilation and the gene expression of nitrogen transporters in wheat after the application of synergistic fertilizer.Soil column experiment was set up in Qingdao Agricultural University experimental base from October 2018 to June 2019.Maleic acid and itaconic acid were copolymerized with acrylic acid as cross-linking monomer to make a fluid gel,which was sprayed on the fertilizer surface to make nitrogen and phosphorus synergistic fertilizer.A total of 6 treatments was set according to different nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer ratios:(1)100%common nitrogen fertilizer+100%common phosphate fertilizer(2)70%nitrogen synergistic fertilizer+100%phosphorus synergistic fertilizer;(3)100%nitrogen synergistic fertilizer+70%phosphorus synergistic fertilizer;(4)100%nitrogen synergistic fertilizer+100%phosphorus synergistic fertilizer;(5)70%nitrogen synergistic fertilizer+70%phosphorus synergistic fertilizer;(6)100%commercial nitrogen synergistic fertilizer+100%commercial phosphorus synergistic fertilizer.The results are as follows:(1)the enzyme activities of wheat plants under synergistic fertilizer condition were higher than those under ordinary fertilizer,except under the treatment that nitrogen and phosphorus synergistic fertilizer were both reduced;(2)the expression level of the genes under the treatment“100%nitrogen synergistic fertilizer+100%phosphorus synergistic fertilizer”was significantly higher than those in other treatments.Combined with the higher performance of nitrogen concentration in various parts of the plant under the condition of applying synergistic fertilizer,this study indicated that the application of synergistic fertilizer can improve the nitrogen metabolism of the plant by increasing the nitrogen level in the rhizosphere soil,inducing the expression of nitrogen transporter genes and key assimilation enzymes genes.

Decreased blood riboflavin levels are correlated with defective expression of RFT2 gene in gastric cancer

AIM:To investigate the relationship between blood riboflavin levels and riboflavin transporter 2(RFT2) gene expression in gastric carcinoma(GC) development.METHODS:High-performance liquid chromatography was used to detect blood riboflavin levels in patients with GC.Real-time fluorogenic quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze the expression of RFT2 mRNA and protein in samples from 60 GC patients consisting of both tumor and normal tissue.RESULTS:A significant decrease in the RFT2 mRNA levels was detected in GC samples compared with those in the normal mucous membrane(0.398 ± 0.149 vs 1.479 ± 0.587;P = 0.040).Tumors exhibited low RFT2 protein expression(75%,16.7%,8.3% and 0% for no RFT2 staining,weak staining,medium staining and strong staining,respectively),which was significantly lower than that in the normal mucous membrane(10%,16.7%,26.7% and 46.7% for no RFT2 staining,weak staining,medium staining and strong staining,respectively;P < 0.05).Tumors with low RFT2 expression were significantly associated with tumor stage and histological grade.Moreover,a significantly decrease in Uyghur patients was observed compared with Han patients.However,other parameters-gender,tumor location and lymph node metastasis-showed no significant relationship with RFT2 expression.Blood riboflavin levels were reverse correlated with development of GC(1.2000 ± 0.97 569 ng/mL in high tumor stage patients vs 2.5980 ± 1.31 129 ng/mL in low tumor stage patients;P < 0.05).A positive correlation of plasma riboflavin levels with defective expression of RFT2 protein was found in GC patients(2 = 2.619;P = 0.019).CONCLUSION:Defective expression of RFT2 is associated with the development of GC and this may represent a mechanism underlying the decreased plasma riboflavin levels in GC.

Restoring axonal localization and transport of transmembrane receptors to promote repair within the injured CNS: a critical step in CNS regeneration

Each neuronal subtype is distinct in how it develops,responds to environmental cues,and whether it is capable of mounting a regenerative response following injury.Although the adult central nervous system（CNS） does not regenerate,several experimental interventions have been trialled with successful albeit limited instances of axonal repair.We highlight here some of these approaches including extracellular matrix（ECM） modification,cellular grafting,gene therapy-induced replacement of proteins,as well as application of biomaterials.We also review the recent report demonstrating the failure of axonal localization and transport of growth-promoting receptors within certain classes of mature neurons.More specifically,we discuss an inability of integrin receptors to localize within the axonal compartment of mature motor neurons such as in the corticospinal and rubrospinal tracts,whereas in immature neurons of those pathways and in mature sensory tracts such as in the optic nerve and dorsal column pathways these receptors readily localize within axons.Furthermore we assert that this failure of axonal localization contributes to the intrinsic inability of axonal regeneration.We conclude by highlighting the necessity for both combined therapies as well as a targeted approach specific to both age and neuronal subtype will be required to induce substantial CNS repair.

Brassinosteroids modulate nitrogen physiological response and promote nitrogen uptake in maize(Zea mays L.)

Brassinosteroids(BRs)are steroid hormones that function in plant growth and development and response to environmental stresses and nutrient supplies.However,few studies have investigated the effect of BRs in modulating the physiological response to nitrogen(N)supply in maize.In the present study,BR signalingdeficient mutant zmbri1-RNAi lines and exogenous application of 2,4-epibrassinolide(e BL)were used to study the role of BRs in the regulation of physiological response in maize seedlings supplied with N.Exogenous application of e BL increased primary root length and plant biomass,but zmbri1 plants showed shorter primary roots and less plant biomass than wild-type plants under low N(LN)and normal N(NN)conditions.LN induced the expression of the BR signaling-associated genes Zm DWF4,Zm CPD,Zm DET2,and Zm BZR1 and the production of longer primary roots than NN.Knockdown of Zm BRI1 weakened the biological effects of LN-induced primary root elongation.e BL treatment increased N accumulation in shoots and roots of maize seedlings exposed to LN or NN treatment.Correspondingly,zmbri1 plants showed lower N accumulation in shoots and roots than wild-type plants.Along with reduced N accumulation,zmbri1 plants showed lower NO3-fluxes and^(15)NO_(3)^(-)uptake.The expression of nitrate transporter(NRT)genes(Zm NPF6.4,Zm NPF6.6,Zm NRT2.1,Zm NRT2.2)was lower in zmbri1 than in wild-type roots,but e BL treatments up-regulated the transcript expression of NRT genes.Thus,BRs modulated N physiological response and regulated the transcript expression of NRT genes to promote N uptake in maize.