Nitrate transiently rewires transcription in developing xylem of Populus wood to promote cell expansion via CRF4

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ID: 329163
2026
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Abstract
Abstract Nitrate functions both as a nutrient and a signaling molecule, but how nitrate is perceived and translated into developmental outputs within woody tissues is unknown. Here, we show that developing xylem in hybrid aspen (Populus tremula × P. tremuloides) mounts a rapid, cell-type-specific transcriptional response to nitrate that promotes xylem cell expansion. To isolate local nitrate signaling in wood-forming tissues, we delivered nitrate directly into the xylem sap and profiled transcriptomic responses from 2 to 48 h after treatment. Bulk RNA sequencing revealed a transient response peaking within 2–4 h. Single-cell RNA sequencing at the peak response resolved nitrate signaling across developing xylem cell types and showed that nitrate induced cell-type-specific programs linked to nitrogen transport, cell wall remodeling, and developmental progression, while repressing lignin-biosynthetic genes. These data indicate that nitrate acts transiently in wood-forming tissues to fine-tune early xylem development. Among nitrate-responsive transcription factors, CYTOKININ RESPONSE FACTOR 4 (CRF4) emerged as a candidate regulator of this response. CRF4 overexpression in hybrid aspen stimulated xylem cell expansion, whereas simultaneous knock-out of CRF4 and its paralog, CRF3, significantly attenuated the nitrate-induced expansion. Together, our findings identify a local nitrate signaling module in developing wood and establish CRF4 as a component linking nitrate sensing to xylem cell expansion.
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Authors Shruti Choudhary, Anna Renström, Theerarat Kochakarn, Pál Miskolczi, Edoardo Piombo, Maxime Chantreau, Jeny Jose, Sandra Jämtgård, András Gorzsás, Johan Henriksson, Hannele Tuominen
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Journal The Plant cell
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/plcell/koag281
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koag281
Keywords Keywords not found

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