Identification and Expression of the CorA/MRS2/ALR Type Magnesium Transporters in Tomato

Wen Liu; Shahbaz Khan; Mengying Tong; Haiyan Hu; Liyan Yin; Jiaquan Huang

doi:10.3390/plants12132512

Identification and Expression of the CorA/MRS2/ALR Type Magnesium Transporters in Tomato

Plants (Basel). 2023 Jun 30;12(13):2512. doi: 10.3390/plants12132512.

Authors

Wen Liu¹, Shahbaz Khan¹, Mengying Tong¹, Haiyan Hu¹, Liyan Yin², Jiaquan Huang¹

Affiliations

¹ Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
² Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, School of Life Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.

Abstract

Magnesium (Mg²⁺) is the most abundant divalent ion in plants, participating in numerous metabolic processes in growth and development. CorA/MRS2/ALR type Mg²⁺ transporters are essential for maintaining Mg²⁺ homeostasis in plants. However, the candidate protein and its potential functions in the tomato plant have not been fully understood. In this study, we identified seven MGT genes (SlMRS2) in tomato based on sequence similarity, domain analysis, conserved motif identification, and structure prediction. Two SlMRS2 genes were analyzed in the bacterial strain MM281, and a functional complementary assay demonstrated their high-affinity transport of Mg²⁺. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that the expressions of these Mg²⁺ transporters were down-regulated in leaves under Mg²⁺ limitation, with a greater impact on lower and middle leaves compared to young leaves. Conversely, under Mg²⁺ toxicity, several genes were up-regulated in leaves with a circadian rhythm. Our findings indicate that members of the SlMRS2 family function as Mg²⁺ transporters and lay the groundwork for further analysis of their distinct functions in tomato.

Keywords: RT-PCR; genomic analysis; magnesium transporter; qRT-PCR; tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.).

Grants and funding

This research was funded by Mechanism of negative gravimetric response induced by silver nanoparticles in Arabidopsis taproots, grant number [31971520], and Inorganic carbon utilization strategies of submerged plants in karst area and their effects on the stability of karst carbon sinks, grant number [31460089].