Transcriptomic Characterization of Nitrate-Enhanced Stevioside Glycoside Synthesis in Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) Bertoni

Nitrogen forms (nitrate (NO(3)(−)) or ammonium (NH(4)(+))) are vital to plant growth and metabolism. In stevia (Stevia rebaudiana), it is important to assess whether nitrogen forms can influence the synthesis of the high-value terpene metabolites-steviol glycosides (SGs), together with the underlying mechanisms. Field and pot experiments were performed where stevia plants were fertilized with either NO(3)(−) or NH(4)(+) nutrition to the same level of nitrogen. Physiological measurements suggested that nitrogen forms had no significant impact on biomass and the total nitrogen content of stevia leaves, but NO(3)(−)-enhanced leaf SGs contents. Transcriptomic analysis identified 397 genes that were differentially expressed (DEGs) between NO(3)(−) and NH(4)(+) treatments. Assessment of the DEGs highlighted the responses in secondary metabolism, particularly in terpenoid metabolism, to nitrogen forms. Further examinations of the expression patterns of SGs synthesis-related genes and potential transcription factors suggested that GGPPS and CPS genes, as well as the WRKY and MYB transcription factors, could be driving N form-regulated SG synthesis. We concluded that NO(3)(−), rather than NH(4)(+), can promote leaf SG synthesis via the NO(3)(−)-MYB/WRKY-GGPPS/CPS module. Our study suggests that insights into the molecular mechanism of how SG synthesis can be affected by nitrogen forms.