Disruption of an amino acid transporter LHT1 leads to growth inhibition and low yields in rice

BACKGROUND: Research on plant amino acid transporters was mainly performed in Arabidopsis, while our understanding of them is generally scant in rice. OsLHT1 (Lysine/Histidine transporter) has been previously reported as a histidine transporter in yeast, but its substrate profile and function in planta are unclear. The aims of this study are to analyze the substrate selectivity of OsLHT1 and influence of its disruption on rice growth and fecundity. RESULTS: Substrate selectivity of OsLHT1 was analyzed in Xenopus oocytes using the two-electrode voltage clamp technique. The results showed that OsLHT1 could transport a broad spectrum of amino acids, including basic, neutral and acidic amino acids, and exhibited a preference for neutral and acidic amino acids. Two oslht1 mutants were generated using CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing technology, and the loss-of-function of OsLHT1 inhibited rice root and shoot growth, thereby markedly reducing grain yields. QRT-PCR analysis indicated that OsLHT1 was expressed in various rice organs, including root, stem, flag leaf, flag leaf sheath and young panicle. Transient expression in rice protoplast suggested OsLHT1 was localized to the plasma membrane, which is consistent with its function as an amino acid transporter. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that OsLHT1 is an amino acid transporter with wide substrate specificity and with preference for neutral and acidic amino acids, and disruption of OsLHT1 function markedly inhibited rice growth and fecundity. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12870-019-1885-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.