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Nitrogen starvation induces arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to optimize resource allocation in sugarcane roots via suppression of basal metabolism
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  • Published: 07 February 2026

Nitrogen starvation induces arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to optimize resource allocation in sugarcane roots via suppression of basal metabolism

  • Qiang Liu1,2,3,
  • Lifang Mo1,
  • Yufang Shen3,
  • Ziqin Pang4,
  • Nyumah Fallah1,
  • Baoshan Chen5 &
  • …
  • Zhaonian Yuan1,5 

npj Biofilms and Microbiomes , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

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We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

Subjects

  • Biotechnology
  • Plant sciences

Abstract

The interplay between nutrient availability and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) symbiosis during plant growth exhibits intricate complexity. In this study, we employ integrated physiological, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic analyses to investigate how sugarcane differentially adapts to nitrogen (N) fertilization and AMF colonization. Under nitrogen stress conditions, AMF colonization significantly enhances sugarcane growth, increasing plant height, stem diameter, and biomass while stimulating root exudation and rhizospheric nutrient mobilization-particularly available N, phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Multi-omics analyses reveal that AMF induces nitrogen-dependent metabolic reprogramming in sugarcane roots, activating pathways such as carbohydrate and lipid metabolic pathways while suppressing butanoate and ascorbate metabolism. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identifies key root modules strongly correlated with soil N, P, and K availability, indicating AMF-mediated coordination of nutrient acquisition strategies. Field trials demonstrate that AMF boost sugarcane yield under nitrogen stress by enhancing root elongation and carbon partitioning for sucrose accumulation. Temporal integration of transcriptomic and metabolomic data highlights flavonoid biosynthesis as a persistently activated pathway across growth stages, potentially facilitating AMF symbiosis and stress resilience. Our findings elucidate how sugarcane optimizes AMF-mediated nutrient acquisition under nitrogen stress through root transcriptional and metabolic adjustments, providing insights for sustainable crop nutrient management.

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Data availability

The RNA sequencing data generated in this study have been deposited in the NCBI Sequence Read Archive (SRA) under accession numbers PRJNA967801 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/term=PRJNA967801) and Genome Sequence Archive under accession numbers PRJCA041107 (https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/gsub/submit/bioproject/subPRO060471/overview). The proteomics data are available through ProjectID IPX0012075001 (https://www.iprox.cn/page/PCV010.html?UploadPage=1&subprojectId=IPX0012075001) in the iProX. Source data are provided with this manuscript.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Guangxi Science and Technology Major Special Project (Guike AA22117004).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Engineering Research Center for Sugarcane, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China

    Qiang Liu, Lifang Mo, Nyumah Fallah & Zhaonian Yuan

  2. College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China

    Qiang Liu

  3. State Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Control, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China

    Qiang Liu & Yufang Shen

  4. Xianghu Laboratory, Hangzhou, China

    Ziqin Pang

  5. Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center of Sugar Industry, Guangxi University, Nanning, China

    Baoshan Chen & Zhaonian Yuan

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Contributions

Q.L., L.M., Z.P., B.C., and Z.Y. designed and managed the project. Q.L., L.M., Z.P. and N.F. collected samples and performed experiments. Q.L., L.M., Y.S., and Z.Y. performed data analyses. Q.L., L.M., and Z.P. wrote the manuscript. N.F., B.C., Y.S., and Z.Y. revised the manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Zhaonian Yuan.

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Liu, Q., Mo, L., Shen, Y. et al. Nitrogen starvation induces arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to optimize resource allocation in sugarcane roots via suppression of basal metabolism. npj Biofilms Microbiomes (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-026-00927-7

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  • Received: 24 August 2025

  • Accepted: 26 January 2026

  • Published: 07 February 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-026-00927-7

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