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Plant science

How to switch affinity

Nature volume 507, pages 44–45 (2014)Cite this article

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The protein NRT1.1 transports nitrate ions into plants over a wide range of concentrations. Two studies provide structural insight into this unusual behaviour, but give different explanations for it. See Articles p.68 & p.73

To acquire nutrients from their surroundings, cells produce proteins that act as transporters, channels and pumps, creating passages in the plasma membrane through which molecules can pass. Unlike channels, pumps and transporters must undergo conformational changes to transfer substrates across the membrane. In plants, the transporter NRT1.1 (also known as CHL1 or NPF6.3) is essential for cellular uptake of nitrate. Unusually for a transporter, NRT1.1 regulates ion uptake by changing its affinity for nitrate ions depending on the availability of nitrate in the soil. However, the structural basis of this behaviour is not understood. Two articles1,2 in this issue provide possible answers, by finally determining structures of NRT1.1 two decades after its identification3.

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Figure 1: Changing the affinity of the NRT1.1 protein for nitrate.

References

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  1. Yi-Fang Tsay is at the Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan.,

    Yi-Fang Tsay

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  1. Yi-Fang Tsay
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Correspondence to Yi-Fang Tsay.

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Tsay, YF. How to switch affinity. Nature 507, 44–45 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13063

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