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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Ithaca, New York » Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture & Health » Plant, Soil and Nutrition Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #424583
Research Project: Championing Improvement of Sorghum and Other Agriculturally Important Species through Data Stewardship and Functional Dissection of Complex Traits

Location: Plant, Soil and Nutrition Research

Title: Understanding nitrogen adaptation in maize and sorghum through gene networks

Author
item BRAYNEN, JANEEN - Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
item KUMARI, SUNITA - Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
item ZHANG, LIFANG - Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
item OLSON, ANDREW - Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
item KUMAR, VIVEK - Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
item REGULSKI, MICHAEL - Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
item LISERON-MONFILS, CHRISTOPHE - National Research Council - Canada
item GAUDINIER, ALLISON - University Of California Berkeley
item FRANK, MARY - Corteva Agriscience
item Ware, Doreen
item SHEN, BO - Corteva Agriscience
item ABBITT, SHANE - Corteva Agriscience
item BAGMAN, ANN-MARRIT - University Of California, Davis
item Rooney, William
item Klein, Robert
item CORREA, EDGAR - Texas A&M University
item Boerman, Nicholas
item KOCHIAN, LEON - University Of Saskatchewan
item BRADY, SIOBHAN - University Of California, Davis

Submitted to: Advances in Genome Biology and Technology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/31/2025
Publication Date: 3/31/2025
Citation: Braynen, J., Kumari, S., Zhang, L., Olson, A., Kumar, V., Regulski, M., Liseron-Monfils, C., Gaudinier, A., Frank, M., Ware, D., Shen, B., Abbitt, S., Bagman, A., Rooney, W.L., Klein, R.R., Correa, E., Boerman, N.A., Kochian, L., Brady, S. 2025. Understanding nitrogen adaptation in maize and sorghum through gene networks. Advances in Genome Biology and Technology. dvances in Genome Biology and Technology Agricultural meeting.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Sorghum, a vital forage crop, is significantly impacted by nitrogen availability, which influences yield, plant health and environmental sustainability. To address challenges associated with nitrogen availability, we conducted two experiments to explore nitrogen response mechanisms in maize (B73) and sorghum (BTx623). In the first experiment, we investigated the early responses to nitrogen limitation and recovery in maize and sorghum. Using a maize gene regulatory network (GRN) constructed via yeast one-hybrid assays, we identified 1,625 protein-DNA interactions (PDIs) involving 70 promoters and 301 transcription factors (TFs). Comparative analysis with Arabidopsis revealed conservation of nitrogen-related subnetworks, particularly those associated with nitrate assimilation and carbon metabolism, with key TF families such as bZIP and AP2/EREBP being hub genes in the network. Leveraging this maize GRN, we projected a sorghum GRN comprising 1,596 PDIs, 93 promoters, and 226 TFs, providing insights into conserved and adaptive nitrogen-response pathways. These results demonstrate the potential of GRNs to elucidate shared regulatory mechanisms across species. In the second experiment, we focused exclusively on sorghum, examining four male-sterile A-lines (ATx645, ATx3408, A.11022, A.07258bst) and BTx623 under high nitrogen conditions (20 mM ammonium nitrate). Transcriptome analysis highlighted gene expression dynamics tied to nitrogen availability and revealed line-specific responses. This work underscores the genetic diversity in nitrogen use among sorghum lines and offers a path for understanding species-specific adaptations. Together, this research highlights the value of GRN-based approaches for improving nitrogen use efficiency and sustainability in crop production.