Rapid transporter regulation prevents substrate flow traffic jams in boron transport

Sotta, Naoyuki ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5558-5155, Duncan, Susan, Tanaka, Mayuki, Sato, Takafumi, Maree, Athanasius F. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2689-2484, Fujiwara, Toru and Grieneisen, Verônica A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6780-8301 2017. Rapid transporter regulation prevents substrate flow traffic jams in boron transport. eLife 6 , e27038. 10.7554/eLife.27038

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Abstract

Nutrient uptake by roots often involves substrate-dependent regulated nutrient transporters. For robust uptake, the system requires a regulatory circuit within cells and a collective, coordinated behaviour across the tissue. A paradigm for such systems is boron uptake, known for its directional transport and homeostasis, as boron is essential for plant growth but toxic at high concentrations. In Arabidopsis thaliana, boron uptake occurs via diffusion facilitators (NIPs) and exporters (BORs), each presenting distinct polarity. Intriguingly, although boron soil concentrations are homogenous and stable, both transporters manifest strikingly swift boron-dependent regulation. Through mathematical modelling, we demonstrate that slower regulation of these transporters leads to physiologically detrimental oscillatory behaviour. Cells become periodically exposed to potentially cytotoxic boron levels, and nutrient throughput to the xylem becomes hampered. We conclude that, while maintaining homeostasis, swift transporter regulation within a polarised tissue context is critical to prevent intrinsic traffic-jam like behaviour of nutrient flow.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Biosciences
Additional Information:	This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
Publisher:	eLife Sciences Publications
ISSN:	2050-084X
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	11 March 2019
Date of Acceptance:	13 August 2017
Last Modified:	07 May 2023 06:48
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/120515

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