Phytic acid is an available phosphorus source for maize plants in juvenile phase belonging to two populations with different breeding backgrounds
Abstract Background Applying animal effluent/digestate to forage crops can improve the sustainability of intensive livestock husbandry. Organic phosphorus (P) forms, in particular phytic acid (InsP6) present in animal effluent/digestate, would benefit from an effective uptake and assimilation by cro...
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2025-04-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06431-y |
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| author | Maria Carelli Federica Terlizzi Carla Scotti |
| author_facet | Maria Carelli Federica Terlizzi Carla Scotti |
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| description | Abstract Background Applying animal effluent/digestate to forage crops can improve the sustainability of intensive livestock husbandry. Organic phosphorus (P) forms, in particular phytic acid (InsP6) present in animal effluent/digestate, would benefit from an effective uptake and assimilation by crops thus representing an alternative to mineral P fertilization and controlling P losses in water system. A maize (Zea mays L.) traditional Italian population (VA572), bred before the widespread diffusion of crop chemical fertilization, and a modern commercial hybrid (P1547) were used in this study to investigate their ability of growing in soilless medium using phytic acid (Po) vs phosphate P (Pi) as P sources in a 28-day experiment. The hypothesis was that the different agronomical context in which the two varieties were selected could have brought to different abilities in exploiting P sources for plant growth. Results Quantitative and qualitative growth parameters, root enzymatic phosphatase activities and root transcriptome by RNA-seq analysis were analyzed in this study. Both maize populations were able to grow using phytic acid as the sole P source but organic P utilization was less efficient than Pi; a significant root-released phytase activity, induced by the presence of InsP6, was detected in Po treatment. The RNA-seq analysis showed different expression patterns induced by organic P treatment (Po) in the two populations. The upregulation in Po treatment of a Purple Acid Phosphatase (PAP) gene and of genes involved in inositol transport indicate that both phosphate hydrolysis from InsP6 by root-secreted PAPs and a direct uptake of myo-inositol at various degrees of phosphorylation could be involved in maize phytic acid exploitation. Root system development and the relationship of P sources with other macro and micro nutrient uptake (N, K, metal ions) were also implied in the response to Po treatment. Conclusions This study indicates that phytic acid is a bioavailable P source for maize seedling growth. A wider mobilization of genes/pathways was induced by Po treatment in VA572 with respect to P1547 hybrid. The physiological responses to Po treatment were similar in both populations but the patterns of genes involved often differed being specific to each one. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1516d94a1c2f4dd4a197ecff8ad0a9a6 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1471-2229 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Plant Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-1516d94a1c2f4dd4a197ecff8ad0a9a62025-08-20T03:05:00ZengBMCBMC Plant Biology1471-22292025-04-0125111910.1186/s12870-025-06431-yPhytic acid is an available phosphorus source for maize plants in juvenile phase belonging to two populations with different breeding backgroundsMaria Carelli0Federica Terlizzi1Carla Scotti2CREA Research Centre for Animal Production and AquacultureCREA Research Centre for Animal Production and AquacultureCREA Research Centre for Animal Production and AquacultureAbstract Background Applying animal effluent/digestate to forage crops can improve the sustainability of intensive livestock husbandry. Organic phosphorus (P) forms, in particular phytic acid (InsP6) present in animal effluent/digestate, would benefit from an effective uptake and assimilation by crops thus representing an alternative to mineral P fertilization and controlling P losses in water system. A maize (Zea mays L.) traditional Italian population (VA572), bred before the widespread diffusion of crop chemical fertilization, and a modern commercial hybrid (P1547) were used in this study to investigate their ability of growing in soilless medium using phytic acid (Po) vs phosphate P (Pi) as P sources in a 28-day experiment. The hypothesis was that the different agronomical context in which the two varieties were selected could have brought to different abilities in exploiting P sources for plant growth. Results Quantitative and qualitative growth parameters, root enzymatic phosphatase activities and root transcriptome by RNA-seq analysis were analyzed in this study. Both maize populations were able to grow using phytic acid as the sole P source but organic P utilization was less efficient than Pi; a significant root-released phytase activity, induced by the presence of InsP6, was detected in Po treatment. The RNA-seq analysis showed different expression patterns induced by organic P treatment (Po) in the two populations. The upregulation in Po treatment of a Purple Acid Phosphatase (PAP) gene and of genes involved in inositol transport indicate that both phosphate hydrolysis from InsP6 by root-secreted PAPs and a direct uptake of myo-inositol at various degrees of phosphorylation could be involved in maize phytic acid exploitation. Root system development and the relationship of P sources with other macro and micro nutrient uptake (N, K, metal ions) were also implied in the response to Po treatment. Conclusions This study indicates that phytic acid is a bioavailable P source for maize seedling growth. A wider mobilization of genes/pathways was induced by Po treatment in VA572 with respect to P1547 hybrid. The physiological responses to Po treatment were similar in both populations but the patterns of genes involved often differed being specific to each one.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06431-yMaize (Zea mays L.)Organic P availabilityPhytic acidRoot RNA-seq analysisF1 hybridOpen pollinated population |
| spellingShingle | Maria Carelli Federica Terlizzi Carla Scotti Phytic acid is an available phosphorus source for maize plants in juvenile phase belonging to two populations with different breeding backgrounds BMC Plant Biology Maize (Zea mays L.) Organic P availability Phytic acid Root RNA-seq analysis F1 hybrid Open pollinated population |
| title | Phytic acid is an available phosphorus source for maize plants in juvenile phase belonging to two populations with different breeding backgrounds |
| title_full | Phytic acid is an available phosphorus source for maize plants in juvenile phase belonging to two populations with different breeding backgrounds |
| title_fullStr | Phytic acid is an available phosphorus source for maize plants in juvenile phase belonging to two populations with different breeding backgrounds |
| title_full_unstemmed | Phytic acid is an available phosphorus source for maize plants in juvenile phase belonging to two populations with different breeding backgrounds |
| title_short | Phytic acid is an available phosphorus source for maize plants in juvenile phase belonging to two populations with different breeding backgrounds |
| title_sort | phytic acid is an available phosphorus source for maize plants in juvenile phase belonging to two populations with different breeding backgrounds |
| topic | Maize (Zea mays L.) Organic P availability Phytic acid Root RNA-seq analysis F1 hybrid Open pollinated population |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06431-y |
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