Genetically controlling VACUOLAR PHOSPHATE TRANSPORTER 1 contributes to low-phosphorus seeds in Arabidopsis

Phosphorus (P) is an indispensable nutrient for seed germination, but the seeds always store excessive P over demand. High-P seeds of feeding crops lead to environmental and nutrition issues, because phytic acid (PA), the major form of P in seeds, cannot be digested by mono-gastric animals. Therefore, reduction of P level in seeds has become an imperative task in agriculture. Our study here suggested that both VPT1 and VPT3, two vacuolar phosphate transporters responsible for vacuolar Pi sequestration, were downregulated in leaves during the flowering stage, which led to less Pi accumulated in leaves and more Pi allocated to reproductive organs, and thus high-P containing seeds. To reduce the total P content in seeds, we genetically regulated VPT1 during the flowering stage and found that overexpression of VPT1 in leaves could reduce P content in seeds without affecting the production and seed vigor. Therefore, our finding provides a potential strategy to reduce the P level of the seeds to prevent the nutrition over-accumulation pollution.