Nitrogen Status Rewires Transcriptional Regulation of Dhurrin, a Dual‐Purpose Defense Metabolite in Sorghum bicolor

Abstract

Dhurrin, a cyanogenic glucoside, plays an important role in Sorghum bicolor physiology and defense. The concentration of dhurrin in sorghum is influenced by both nitrogen status and stage of plant organ development. While nitrogen resupply activates the expression of genes for dhurrin biosynthesis, the molecular mechanisms underlying this regulation remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the transcriptional response of sorghum to nitrogen resupply following growth under nitrogen‐limiting conditions. Using a time‐course design, we measured hydrogen cyanide potential (HCNp), growth, and nitrate content at 0‐, 2‐, 6‐, 12‐, 24‐, 36‐, 48‐, and 60‐h after resupply and collected tissue for RNAseq analysis in parallel for analysis of gene expression and construction of gene regulatory networks (GRNs). HCNp (mg g−1 DW) increased significantly in leaf and stem tissues following nitrogen resupply, with increases in the leaf partially driven by continued declines in controls under ongoing nitrogen stress. Expression of the dhurrin pathway genes was upregulated in leaves from 24 h after nitrogen resupply, with diel expression patterns observable over the remaining time points. No upregulation was observed in roots or stems, suggesting that developmental context overrides environmental cues. GRN analysis identified candidate transcription factors regulating dhurrin biosynthesis genes, including members of the MYB, bZIP, and GARP‐type transcription factor families. Some of these candidate transcription factors may be involved in relieving senescence‐associated suppression of dhurrin biosynthesis and link nitrogen signaling to pathway activation. These findings provide new insight into the nitrogen‐responsive regulation of dhurrin in sorghum, highlighting candidate regulators for future functional characterization.