Gene expression patterns underlying changes in xylem structure and function in response to increased nitrogen availability in hybrid poplar

Nitrogen availability has a strong influence on plant growth and development. In this study, we examined the effect of nitrogen availability on xylogenesis in hybrid poplar (Populus trichocarpa x deltoides H11-11). Saplings of hybrid poplar were fertilized for 33 d with either high or adequate levels of ammonium nitrate. We observed enhanced radial growth, wider vessels and fibres and thinner fibre walls in the secondary xylem of high N relative to adequate N plants. These anatomical differences translated into altered hydraulic properties with xylem being more transport efficient but also more vulnerable to drought-induced cavitation in high N plants. The changes in xylem structure and function were associated with differences in gene expression as revealed by the transcriptome analysis of the developing xylem region. We found 388 genes differentially expressed (fold change +/- 1.5, P-value <= 0.05), including a number of genes putatively involved in nitrogen and carbohydrate metabolism and various aspects of xylem cell differentiation. Several genes encoding known transcriptional regulators of secondary cell wall deposition were down-regulated in high N plants, corresponding with thinner secondary cell walls in these plants. The results of this study provide us with gene candidates potentially affecting xylem hydraulic and structural traits.