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Nitrogen deficiency restricts gall development by altering metabolic and hormonal networks in Zizania latifolia
Shenshen Zhang1, Liwen Zheng1, Jingtong Zhang1
1Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Abstract:
Zizania latifolia is an important aquatic vegetable, and its edible gall is induced by the fungus Ustilago esculenta. Gall development is influenced by multiple factors. Nitrogen (N) is a central determinant of plant development and crop quality, yet how N modulates gall development in Z. latifolia remains largely unclear. Here, transcriptomic, metabolomic, and physiological analyses were integrated to investigate how N deficiency affects gall development at three stages: 7, 14, and 21 days after gall swelling. The present results showed that N deficiency reduced plant height, tiller number, and gall size, but promoted root length. There were decreases in photosynthetic performance, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and total nitrogen content with N deficiency. Concomitantly, gall tissues exhibited reduced levels of free amino acids and soluble proteins, alongside stage-dependent accumulation of soluble sugars. Multi-omics analyses revealed that N deficiency resulted in the coordinated suppression of N assimilation pathways, including GS/GOGAT, accompanied by enhanced lignin biosynthesis. In addition, N deficiency induced changes in redox-related processes, substantially altered phytohormone signaling pathways, and modified cell wall-related metabolic processes. Overall, the present study shows that N limitation disrupts carbon-nitrogen metabolic balance and source-sink allocation, thereby constraining gall expansion, structural development, and quality development. This work provides a physiological and molecular basis for optimizing N management in this crop.
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