Plants as amino acid producers: New findings from Düsseldorf!

Plants as amino acid producers: New findings from Düsseldorf!

The ability of plants to produce and transport essential amino acids is a crucial factor in their development and survival. An important research team from the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf has now decoded the mechanism by which plants distribute these vital amino acids. The results of this innovative study were published in the renowned specialist journalNature Plantspublished.

Plants are remarkable organisms because they can synthesize all 20 proteinogenic amino acids essential to humans. The production of these amino acids occurs primarily in plastids, specialized cell organelles that are responsible for various biochemical processes within plant cells. Transport proteins, particularly RETICULATA1 (RE1), play a central role in the transport of amino acids across the chloroplast envelope membrane.

Function and meaning of RE1

The RE1 protein is specialized in efficiently transporting basic amino acids such as arginine, citrulline, ornithine and lysine. Interestingly, plants lacking RE1 show reduced levels of these amino acids as well as a characteristic “reticulated” leaf shape. This observation highlights the essential role of RE1; the lack of this transport protein can even be fatal to the plant.

By expanding knowledge about the transport of amino acids within plants, the research team emphasizes that the biosynthesis of basic amino acids and the balance of amino acid pools between plastids and cytosol are significantly affected when RE1 is not present. This discovery could have far-reaching implications for breeding crops with higher levels of essential amino acids, which is the goal of many agricultural researchers.

Evolutionary legacy of transport proteins

RE1 and related proteins are evolutionarily old and can be found in all plants and photosynthesizing algae. This discovery sheds new light on the evolution of amino acid transport systems in plants. It also demonstrates the implementation of fundamental biological processes that have played an important role in the evolution of plants.

A particularly important aspect of this research is the opportunity to advance agricultural innovations. The findings could help to breed crops with higher levels of essential amino acids, which would increase the nutritional value of the plants. This progress is particularly important for food production and agriculture as it could help combat malnutrition problems.

The research work is part of the CEPLAS Cluster of Excellence and includes the special research areas SFB1208/2 and 1535/1, funded by the German Research Foundation. Co-author Dr. Peter K. Lundquist was awarded an Alexander von Humboldt postdoctoral fellowship for his work.

For more information on the details of the study and its implications for agriculture, readers can view the publication at Nature Plants see. Additional insights into the regulation of amino acid transport processes in plants can also be found in related works, which provide comprehensive information on the regulation of amino acids in plants.

In conclusion, the newly gained knowledge about the mechanism of amino acid distribution in plants is of fundamental importance and could have wide-ranging applications in plant research and agriculture. How CEPLAS reports, these advances could help to significantly increase the nutritional value of crops and thus have a positive impact on the global food situation.