Conclusions
Collectively, our results reveal a novel role of CIPK1 in response to nitrate deficiency in Arabidopsis.
Methods
In this study, we screened Arabidopsis thaliana T-DNA insertion mutants of the CIPK family under nitrate deficiency conditions by a reverse genetic strategy.
Results
We found that the cipk1 mutant showed a shorter primary root and had a lower fresh weight and total N content compared with wildtype (WT) plants under nitrate deficiency. The CIPK1 complementation lines completely rescued the sensitive phenotype. Additionally, CIPK1 mutation caused nitrogen-starvation marker genes to be decreased under nitrate deficiency. We further found that CIPK1 interacted with teosintebranched 1/cycloidea/proliferating cell factor 1-20 (TCP20) in a yeast two-hybrid system. Conclusions: Collectively, our results reveal a novel role of CIPK1 in response to nitrate deficiency in Arabidopsis.