四川农业大学黄永财团队的一项最新研究发现了玉米质体红蛋白对氮的同化起区隔作用。2026年6月3日，国际知名学术期刊《自然》发表了这一成果。

本研究表明，玉米叶肉细胞叶绿体中的质体红蛋白（PGs）是协调氮素利用的代谢中枢。PGs的氮响应动力学在植物物种中具有保守性。小组发现了两个关键酶，亚硝酸盐还原酶2（ZmNIR2）和谷氨酰胺合成酶1 (ZmGLN1)，它们通过叶绿体转运肽和疏水区域特异性靶向PGs。重组ZmGLN1的低温电镜分析显示出一个十聚体复合物，能够与ZmNIR2代谢以提高效率。在两种NIR酶和六种GLN酶中，ZmNIR2和ZmGLN1是PG定位的主要成分，它们协调亚细胞器氮同化并决定氮主题效率。在培育的种质中，ZmNIR2剪接的遗传变异产生了一个靶向PG的异构体（ZmNIR2T1），提高了NUE。他们的工作确定了PG作为初级氮同化的中心隔间，为开发高氮肥作物提供了一种有希望的策略，以保障全球粮食安全。

据悉，有效的氮同化对可持续农业很重要，但其亚细胞组织尚不清楚。

附：英文原文

Title: Plastoglobules compartmentalize nitrogen assimilation in maize

Author: Chen, Di, Gao, Lulu, Li, Shujun, Cheng, Yiqiu, Wu, Xiaoxian, Li, Wenhao, Zhang, Jinman, Fu, Xueling, Xiang, Pan, Sun, Lu, Chen, Zhiteng, Zhang, Hua, Li, Youliang, Luo, Shiqi, You, Chong, Sun, Linhan, Huang, Xing, Zhu, Yidong, Zeng, Xing, Wang, Wenqin, He, Yan, Wang, Haihai, Zhang, Yu, Chen, Xuewei, Wu, Yongrui, Huang, Yongcai

Issue&Volume: 2026-06-03

Abstract: Efficient nitrogen assimilation is important for sustainable agriculture1, yet its subcellular organization remains unknown. Here we show that plastoglobules (PGs) in the chloroplasts of mesophyll cells function as a metabolic hub that orchestrates nitrogen utilization in maize. Nitrogen-responsive dynamics of PGs represent a conserved feature across plant species. We identify two key enzymes, nitrite reductase 2 (ZmNIR2) and glutamine synthetase 1 (ZmGLN1), specifically targeted to PGs by a chloroplast transit peptide and hydrophobic region. Cryogenic electron microscopy analysis of recombinant ZmGLN1 shows a decameric complex, enabling a metabolon with ZmNIR2 for enhanced efficiency. Among two NIR and six GLN enzymes, ZmNIR2 and ZmGLN1 are the primary PG-localized components that orchestrate sub-organellar nitrogen assimilation and dictate nitrogen use efficiency. Genetic variation in ZmNIR2 splicing in cultivated germplasm generates a PG-targeted isoform (ZmNIR2T1) that boosts NUE. Our work establishes PGs as a central compartment for primary nitrogen assimilation, providing a promising strategy to develop high-NUE crops for global food security.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10610-8

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10610-8