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Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Laboratory-determined Phosphorus Flux from Lake Sediments as a Measure of Internal Phosphorus Loading
Published on: March 6, 2014
The effects of nitrogen and phosphorus deficiency on the main physiology of Ilex chinensis and transcriptomic
Jing Liu1, Gong Cheng1, Jiejie Jiao2
1State Key Laboratory for Development and Utilization of Forest Food Resources, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China.
Background:
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are essential macronutrients that drive plant growth and photosynthesis; their deficiencies alters both plant physiology and metabolism. However, the molecular mechanisms by which Ilex chinensis responds to N and P starvation remain largely unknown.
Results:
We subjected two-year-old I. chinensis seedlings to 10 weeks of low N (LN) and low P (LP) stress and profiled the leaf transcriptome. Both stresses restricted shoot elongation but stimulated lateral root proliferation, with the strongest phenotype under LN2 and LP2 regimes. Relative to the control, LN2 group exhibited 2.1- to 3.9-fold increases in nitrate reductase (NR), glutamine synthetase (GS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) (P < 0.01). LP2 group displayed 1.7- to 2.4-fold higher acid phosphatase (ACP), SOD, POD activity, anthocyanin content, and MDA (P < 0.01). Transcriptomic analysis revealed that pathways enriched under N and P deficiency were responsive to plant growth, root development, and N and P uptake.
Conclusions:
Our data reveal the integrated physiological and transcriptional adjustments that allow I. chinensis to cope with N and P deficiency stress, and identifies potential target genes for improving nutrient use efficiency. These findings provide new insights into the physiological and molecular responses of I. chinensis to N and P deficiency stress and offer valuable information for optimizing its cultivation under nutrient-limited conditions.
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