A research team led by Prof. Bai Mingyi and Assoc. Prof. Fan Min from the School of Life Sciences at Shandong University, in collaboration with Prof. Xiao Jun from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has recently published a groundbreaking study in Nature Plants, a leading international journal. The study, titled “Nitrogen Enhances Post-Drought Recovery in Wheat by Modulating TaSnRK2.10-Mediated Regulation of TaNLP7”, reveals a novel molecular mechanism explaining how nitrogen promotes rapid recovery in wheat after drought stress. The research shows that nitrate alleviates the inhibitory effect of TaSnRK2.10-4A, a core kinase in the abscisic acid signaling pathway, on TaNLP7-3A, a key transcription factor in nitrate signaling. This study sheds light on the intricate molecular interplay between water and nitrogen in regulating crop resilience. By offering insights into this synergy, the study provides a scientific basis for optimizing water and fertilizer management strategies, which could significantly enhance agricultural practices, crop growth, and productivity.

Drought remains one of the most significant environmental challenges facing global crop production. As climate change exacerbates the frequency of drought events, the ability of crops to recover post-drought has become essential for maintaining yield stability. While current research predominantly focuses on drought resistance, there is far less attention given to post-drought recovery. Nitrogen fertilizers, which are vital for promoting plant growth and stress resistance, have an underexplored role in enhancing post-drought recovery. Understanding how nitrogen regulates crop recovery after drought is crucial for ensuring food security through informed fertilization and crop breeding.

Through transcriptomic and genetic analyses, the team demonstrated that nitrate treatment significantly accelerates wheat recovery after rewatering. Nitrate exerts a dual regulatory effect on gene expression: it enhances the expression of growth-related genes involved in photosynthesis and development, while suppressing stress-response genes, particularly those within the ABA signaling pathway. The expression of TaSnRK2.10-4A  was induced by drought, but reduced by rewatering, and was further accelerated by nitrate. Overexpression of TaSnRK2.10-4A enhanced drought resistance but impaired recovery under nitrogen supplementation, suggesting that timely shutoff of ABA signaling is crucial for post-drought regeneration.

Fig 1 Nitrate enhanced the promotive effects of rewatering on both growth and gene expression in wheat

NLP7, a key nitrate sensor, plays a central role in nitrate signal transduction. The study revealed that TaSnRK2.10-4A interacts with and phosphorylates TaNLP7-3A, inhibiting its nuclear localization and transcriptional activity. Nitrate counteracts this repression by reducing the kinase activity of TaSnRK2.10 and promoting its degradation, thereby releasing TaNLP7 to activate the expression of nitrogen-responsive genes. Additionally, natural variations in the TaSnRK2.10-4 gene were linked to differing nitrogen responsiveness and drought tolerance among different wheat varieties, providing valuable genetic targets for breeding programs.

Fig 2 A model showing how nitrate uses the TaSnRK2.10-TaNLP7 pathway to rev up wheat after drought

This study not only advances our understanding of how plants balance stress responses and growth recovery but also reveals practical pathways for developing new wheat varieties with improved resilience and resource use efficiency. The findings suggest that optimizing nitrogen management can play a key role in boosting crop recovery, thus providing a promising approach for enhancing agricultural productivity in the face of increasing environmental challenges.

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Agricultural Variety Improvement Project of Shandong Province.