Magnesium (Mg) is an essential nutrient element for plant growth and plays an important role in numerous physiological and biochemical processes. Mg deficiency inhibits plant growth and has become a growing problem for crop productions in agriculture. However, the molecular mechanisms for the resistance to Mg deficiency in plants were not well understood. In this study, we identified a Mg transporter gene OsMGT1 that confers resistance to Mg deficiency in rice (Oryza sativa). The expression of OsMGT1 was highly induced by Mg deficiency in shoots. Investigation of tissue expression patterns revealed that OsMGT1 was mainly expressed in the phloem region; however, Mg deficiency remarkably enhanced its expression in xylem parenchyma and mesophyll cells in shoots. Knockout of OsMGT1 resulted in a significant reduction in Mg content and biomass when grown at Mg-limited conditions. Furthermore, the sensitivity to low-Mg in mutants was intensified by excessive calcium supply. In addition, overexpression of OsMGT1 increased Mg content and biomass under low-Mg supply. In conclusion, our results indicate that OsMGT1 plays an important role in rice Mg import and is required for the resistance to Mg deficiency, which can be utilized for molecular breeding of low-Mg tolerant plants.
Keywords: Mg deficiency; OsMGT1; rice; transporter.