Genetic differences in nitrate uptake in two clones of the common reed, Phragmites australis

Phragmites australis, common reed, could be useful in removing eutrophic substances from river and lake water. In this study, the genetic differences in nitrate uptake ability of the reed were investigated with a view to breeding a reed plant useful for phytoremediation. Two reed clones (W-6 and W-8) isolated from a reed community in the lakeside wetland along Lake Biwa, Japan, were used for a study on the physiological and molecular basis of nitrate uptake. K(m)s for nitrate uptake were 80.8 and 45.2 mu M and V(max)s for nitrate uptake were 10.62 and 2.37 mu mol g(-1) root f.w. h(-1) in W-6 and W-8, respectively, suggesting that there were critical differences in kinetic parameters for nitrate uptake. To investigate these differences at the molecular level, we isolated a high-affinity nitrate transporter gene (NRT2) from the two reed clones and analyzed the reed NRT2 structure and expression. The deduced amino acid sequence of the reed NRT2 consisted of 523 residues and had a high similarity to NRT2 from other monocots. Reed NRT2 was strongly expressed in roots treated with 200 mu M nitrate. There were three amino acid substitutions of the reed NRT2 between W-6 and W-8. Differences in NRT2 transcription were also observed between the two clones. It was not clear whether the difference in kinetic parameters for nitrate was due to the reed NRT2 structure or expression. These results indicate the possibility of selecting genotypes more useful for the removal of nitrate.