Integration of trap‐ and root‐derived nitrogen nutrition of carnivorous Dionaea muscipula. Issue 3 (27th October 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gao, Peng; Loeffler, Theresa Sofi; Honsel, Anne; Kruse, Jörg; Krol, Elzbieta; Scherzer, Sönke; Kreuzer, Ines; Bemm, Felix; Buegger, Franz; Burzlaff, Tim; Hedrich, Rainer; Rennenberg, Heinz
• Is Part Of: New phytologist. Volume 205:Issue 3(2015)
• Page Start: 1320
• Page End: 1329
• Publication Date: 2014-10-27
• Subjects: Botany -- Periodicals; 580
• DOI: 10.1111/nph.13120
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0028-646X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="nph13120-abs-0001"> <title>Summary</title> <p> <list id="nph13120-list-0001" list-type="bullet"> <list-item> <p>Carnivorous <italic>Dionaea muscipula</italic> operates active snap traps for nutrient acquisition from prey; so what is the role of <italic>D. muscipula</italic>'s reduced root system?</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>We studied the capacity for nitrogen (N) acquisition via traps, and its effect on plant allometry; the capacity of roots to absorb NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>, NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> and glutamine from the soil solution; and the fate and interaction of foliar‐ and root‐acquired N.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>Feeding <italic>D. muscipula</italic> snap traps with insects had little effect on the root : shoot ratio, but promoted petiole relative to trap growth. Large amounts of NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> and glutamine were absorbed upon root feeding. The high capacity for root N uptake was maintained upon feeding traps with glutamine. High root acquisition of NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> was mediated by 2.5‐fold higher expression of the NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> transporter DmAMT1 in the roots compared with the traps. Electrophysiological studies confirmed a high constitutive capacity for NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> uptake by roots. Glutamine feeding of traps inhibited the influx of <sup>15</sup>N from root‐absorbed <sup>15</sup>N/<sup>13</sup>C‐glutamine into these traps, but not that of <sup>13</sup>C. Apparently, fed traps turned into carbon sinks that even acquired organic carbon from roots.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>N acquisition at the whole‐plant level is fundamentally different in <italic>D. muscipula</italic> compared with noncarnivorous species, where foliar N influx down‐regulates N uptake by roots.</p> </list-item> </list> </p> </abstract>