The K+ transporter NPF7.3/NRT1.5 and the proton pump AHA2 contribute to K+ transport in Arabidopsis thaliana under K+ and NO3 - deficiency

Abstract

Nitrate (NO3-) and potassium (K+) are distributed in plants via short and long-distance transport. These two pathways jointly regulate NO3- and K+ levels in all higher plants. The Arabidopsis thaliana transporter NPF7.3/NRT1.5 is responsible for loading NO3- and K+ from root pericycle cells into the xylem vessels, facilitating the long-distance transport of NO3- and K+ to shoots. In this study, we demonstrate a protein-protein interaction of NPF7.3/NRT1.5 with the proton pump AHA2 in the plasma membrane by split ubiquitin and bimolecular complementation assays, and we show that a conserved glycine residue in a transmembrane domain of NPF7.3/NRT1.5 is crucial for the interaction. We demonstrate that AHA2 together with NRT1.5 affects the K+ level in shoots, modulates the root architecture, and alters extracellular pH and the plasma membrane potential. We hypothesize that NRT1.5 and AHA2 interaction plays a role in maintaining the pH gradient and membrane potential across the root pericycle cell plasma membrane during K+ and/or NO3- transport.