Effects of Low Nitrogen Stress on the Cell Structure and Chloroplast Proteome of Festuca arundinacea

Effects of Low Nitrogen Stress on the Cell Structure and Chloroplast Proteome of Festuca arundinacea | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Effects of Low Nitrogen Stress on the Cell Structure and Chloroplast Proteome of Festuca arundinacea Chen Xi, Chen Caijun, Wang Xiaoli, Zhao Degang This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6798518/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant growth, development, and metabolism, and its deficiency can severely impact physiological functions and overall growth. This study aimed to investigate the effects of low nitrogen on the cell structure and chloroplast protein levels of tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea ). The seedlings were subjected to low nitrogen stress, and the ultrastructures of their subcellular components were observed via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The differential expression of chloroplast proteins under low-nitrogen stress was analyzed via quantitative proteomics via iTRAQ technology. The results revealed that the leaf cells presented pronounced protrusions and irregular surfaces, whereas normal mesophyll cell structures and intact chloroplasts were observed in the full-nitrogen group (nonstressed plants) of Festuca arundinacea . In contrast, leaf cells under low-nitrogen conditions appeared smoother and lacked protrusions, with mesophyll cells displaying necrosis or structural abnormalities and some membrane structures appearing blurred. Additionally, chloroplasts presented structural abnormalities, including the formation of oversized starch granules. Photosynthesis was inhibited under low-nitrogen conditions. A total of 441 differentially expressed chloroplast proteins were identified, with 177 upregulated and 264 downregulated. Notably, the expression of photosystem II core proteins and metabolic pathway synthases was downregulated, whereas the expression of certain antioxidant proteins was upregulated. These results indicate that low nitrogen stress disrupts the dynamic balance of the chloroplast proteome and inhibits photosynthetic efficiency. This study provides a theoretical foundation for optimizing nitrogen fertilization and improving stress resistance in turfgrass species. Festuca arundinacea Low nitrogen stress Chloroplast proteomics Cell ultrastructure Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6798518","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":467988425,"identity":"86b2e8b0-849a-4a93-a345-515b2bd13d78","order_by":0,"name":"Chen Xi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Chen","middleName":"","lastName":"Xi","suffix":""},{"id":467988426,"identity":"3b518c5b-38bc-4422-86db-53d781007d24","order_by":1,"name":"Chen Caijun","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Chen","middleName":"","lastName":"Caijun","suffix":""},{"id":467988427,"identity":"fd6295ef-2433-4ba4-9f2f-8125475c5977","order_by":2,"name":"Wang Xiaoli","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wang","middleName":"","lastName":"Xiaoli","suffix":""},{"id":467988428,"identity":"ea775a7e-6037-457c-b993-7d499b0eaf55","order_by":3,"name":"Zhao Degang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zhao","middleName":"","lastName":"Degang","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-06-02 03:53:10","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6798518/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6798518/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":90086545,"identity":"b300aea7-cf47-4749-a4d0-c595111a0ed6","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-28 10:08:53","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":737192,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"EffectsofLowNitrogenStressonCellStructureandChloroplastProteomicsinFestucaarundinacea.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6798518/v1_covered_d4406d24-edee-4da4-b666-3afcc30f65a3.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Effects of Low Nitrogen Stress on the Cell Structure and Chloroplast Proteome of Festuca arundinacea","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Festuca arundinacea, Low nitrogen stress, Chloroplast proteomics, Cell ultrastructure","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6798518/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6798518/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eNitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant growth, development, and metabolism, and its deficiency can severely impact physiological functions and overall growth. This study aimed to investigate the effects of low nitrogen on the cell structure and chloroplast protein levels of tall fescue (\u003cem\u003eFestuca arundinacea\u003c/em\u003e). The seedlings were subjected to low nitrogen stress, and the ultrastructures of their subcellular components were observed via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The differential expression of chloroplast proteins under low-nitrogen stress was analyzed via quantitative proteomics via iTRAQ technology. The results revealed that the leaf cells presented pronounced protrusions and irregular surfaces, whereas normal mesophyll cell structures and intact chloroplasts were observed in the full-nitrogen group (nonstressed plants) of \u003cem\u003eFestuca arundinacea\u003c/em\u003e. In contrast, leaf cells under low-nitrogen conditions appeared smoother and lacked protrusions, with mesophyll cells displaying necrosis or structural abnormalities and some membrane structures appearing blurred. Additionally, chloroplasts presented structural abnormalities, including the formation of oversized starch granules. Photosynthesis was inhibited under low-nitrogen conditions. A total of 441 differentially expressed chloroplast proteins were identified, with 177 upregulated and 264 downregulated. Notably, the expression of photosystem II core proteins and metabolic pathway synthases was downregulated, whereas the expression of certain antioxidant proteins was upregulated. These results indicate that low nitrogen stress disrupts the dynamic balance of the chloroplast proteome and inhibits photosynthetic efficiency. This study provides a theoretical foundation for optimizing nitrogen fertilization and improving stress resistance in turfgrass species.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Effects of Low Nitrogen Stress on the Cell Structure and Chloroplast Proteome of Festuca arundinacea","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-06-09 14:12:07","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6798518/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"00ae2f14-b301-4fe4-b382-ebc7a2407f14","owner":[],"postedDate":"June 9th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-12-31T15:23:43+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-06-09 14:12:07","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6798518","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6798518","identity":"rs-6798518","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}