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Urease-null soybean (eu3-a) under salt and copper stress: nitrogen metabolism, antioxidant defense, and arginine pathway genes.

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Title: Urease-null soybean (eu3-a) under salt and copper stress: nitrogen metabolism, antioxidant defense, and arginine pathway genes.
Authors: de Souza SCR; Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, PO Box 6109, Campinas, SP, 13083-970, Brazil. sarahsouza@ufscar.br.; Department of Botany, Federal University of São Carlos, PO Box 676, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil. sarahsouza@ufscar.br., Silveira NM; Department of Biodiversity, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), PO Box 1515, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-900, Brazil., Tofanello VR; Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, PO Box 6109, Campinas, SP, 13083-970, Brazil., Polacco JC; Department of Biochemistry, Interdisciplinary Plant Group, University of Missouri, 117 Schweitzer Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA., Mazzafera P; Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, PO Box 6109, Campinas, SP, 13083-970, Brazil.
Source: Planta [Planta] 2026 Apr 16; Vol. 263 (5). Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Apr 16.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: Springer-Verlag [etc.] Country of Publication: Germany NLM ID: 1250576 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1432-2048 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00320935 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Planta Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: Berlin, New York, Springer-Verlag [etc.]
MeSH Terms: Glycine max*/genetics , Glycine max*/physiology , Glycine max*/drug effects , Glycine max*/enzymology , Glycine max*/metabolism , Nitrogen*/metabolism , Copper*/toxicity , Urease*/genetics , Urease*/metabolism , Antioxidants*/metabolism , Arginine*/metabolism, Photosynthesis/drug effects ; Sodium Chloride/pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant/drug effects ; Plant Leaves/physiology ; Salt Stress ; Stress, Physiological
Abstract: Main Conclusion: The eu3-a mutant exhibited greater tolerance to salt stress but increased sensitivity to copper stress, with distinct impacts on nitrogen metabolism, photosynthesis, and antioxidant responses. The eu3-a soybean mutant is urease-null, lacking all urease activity responsible for catalyzing the hydrolysis of urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide. In this study, the urease-null eu3-a soybean mutant was used to assess the saline and copper stresses on nitrogen metabolism. Seeds of eu3-a/eu3-a and the corresponding dominant homozygous Eu3 precursor line were collectively referred to as near-isogenic lines (NILs). Experiments were conducted under hydroponic conditions using plants at the reproductive stage (R1-R2) and subjected to either salinity stress (NaCl: 0, 50, and 100 mM) or copper stress (CuCl2: 0, 10, and 50 µM) over a 5-day treatment period. The following parameters were assessed in leaf tissue: photosynthetic performance, antioxidant enzyme activity, levels of nitrogenous compounds, and the expression of genes encoding key enzymes in the arginine-derived metabolic network. Overall, salinity imposed more severe physiological disruptions than copper in both lines, as evidenced by an approximately 88% reduction in photosynthetic performance under 100 mM of salt. Both stresses impaired nitrogen metabolism, increasing ammonia levels and reducing nitrate concentration. Interestingly, eu3-a plants demonstrated enhanced tolerance to salt stress relative to Eu3 plants, but this trend was not observed under copper stress. Future work should address nitrogen-related enzymatic activities associated with urease metabolism and elucidate the non-enzymatic antioxidant mechanisms contributing to stress tolerance in eu3-a soybean plants under salt and copper stress.
(© 2026. The Author(s).)
Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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Grant Information: 150069/2017-0 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico; 2023/13662-3 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo; Grant 14/09730-4 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Contributed Indexing: Keywords: Arginase; Nitrate; Polyamines; Proline; Tryptophan; Urea
Substance Nomenclature: N762921K75 (Nitrogen)
789U1901C5 (Copper)
EC 3.5.1.5 (Urease)
0 (Antioxidants)
94ZLA3W45F (Arginine)
451W47IQ8X (Sodium Chloride)
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260416 Date Completed: 20260715 Latest Revision: 20260921
Update Code: 20260921
PubMed Central ID: PMC13086885
DOI: 10.1007/s00425-026-05001-2
PMID: 41989567
Database: MEDLINE
Description
ISSN:1432-2048
DOI:10.1007/s00425-026-05001-2