Plant scientists have long recognized phosphorus as essential for plant growth. A significant breakthrough by a K-State biologist and her lab is enhancing our understanding of how plants detect and utilize this resource, potentially leading to more efficient crop production for food, fiber, and fuel.

Kathrin Schrick, an associate professor of biology, and her research team recently published their findings in New Phytologist, a leading journal in plant sciences. The team investigated a specific transcription factor that controls gene expression during plant development. They identified a new molecular interaction between this protein and a phosphorus-containing fat-soluble molecule known as a phospholipid. This phospholipid binds to the transcription factor, influencing gene expression levels.

The research team led by Schrick has discovered a connection between the binding of a phospholipid to a regulatory protein and subsequent gene expression in plants. Their model explains how plants sense phosphorus levels through their outer epidermal layer and regulate growth accordingly.

Efficient phosphorus use is crucial for developing crops that can better withstand drought and climate change. This finding links phospholipid sensing directly to gene expression control, showing how plants use phosphorus information to adjust gene activity. The study involved K-State undergraduates and collaborators from Michigan State University and the Max Planck Institute, and was funded by the National Science Foundation, NIH, and USDA.