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Updated: Jun 28, 2025

A Simple Protocol for Mapping the Plant Root System Architecture Traits
Published on: February 10, 2023
Interplay between nitric oxide and inorganic nitrogen sources in root development and abiotic stress responses
Rafael Caetano da Silva1, Halley Caixeta Oliveira2, Abir U Igamberdiev3
1Department of Biodiversity Conservation, Institute of Environmental Research, São Paulo, SP, 04301-902, Brazil.
Abstract:
Nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient for plants, and the sources from which it is obtained can differently affect their entire development as well as stress responses. Distinct inorganic N sources (nitrate and ammonium) can lead to fluctuations in the nitric oxide (NO) levels and thus interfere with nitric oxide (NO)-mediated responses. These could lead to changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis, hormone synthesis and signaling, and post-translational modifications of key proteins. As the consensus suggests that NO is primarily synthesized in the reductive pathways involving nitrate and nitrite reduction, it is expected that plants grown in a nitrate-enriched environment will produce more NO than those exposed to ammonium. Although the interplay between NO and different N sources in plants has been investigated, there are still many unanswered questions that require further elucidation. By building on previous knowledge regarding NO and N nutrition, this review expands the field by examining in more detail how NO responses are influenced by different N sources, focusing mainly on root development and abiotic stress responses.
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