Nitrogen signalling pathway for improved crop yield and nitrogen use efficiency
Research platform targeting the CEP-CEPR1 signalling pathway to enhance nitrogen use efficiency and crop yield. Misregulation of pathway components significantly impacts nitrogen uptake and seed development, offering targets to reduce fertiliser costs and environmental impact in agriculture.
Overview
This research program targets a critical bottleneck in global agriculture: inefficient nitrogen use. Excessive nitrogen fertiliser application costs up to $2 trillion per year globally while harming the environment. The team has identified key signalling components, including CEP peptides and their receptor CEPR1, that regulate both nitrogen demand signalling and plant reproduction. Manipulating this pathway offers a route to improving nitrogen use efficiency and increasing crop yield, addressing both economic and sustainability challenges in agriculture.
Technical specifications
Core pathway components:
- CEP signalling peptides and their receptor CEPR1
- Additional pathway components whose misregulation impacts nitrogen uptake, nitrogen use, plant development, and yield
Key findings:
- CEPs and CEPR1 control root growth and development, nitrate uptake, and yield
- Seed yield is reduced to 2% in the cepr1 peptide receptor mutant
- CEPR1 is expressed throughout the vasculature of reproductive organs
- Transcriptional analyses of cepr1 bolts show altered expression of CEP-CEPR1 and nitrogen homeostasis pathway genes
- The CEP-CEPR1 circuit determines seed size and yield by controlling nitrogen delivery to reproductive sinks
Validation approach:
- Transcriptomic, genetic, and biochemical analyses to define gene networks regulated by CEPs
- Genetic and mutant analysis to understand interactions between other key signalling pathways and CEP signalling
Technology readiness level
The research is at an early-to-mid stage of development. Key pathway components have been identified and characterised through mutant analysis and transcriptomic studies, demonstrating significant yield impacts. Future work will define gene networks, mode of action, and pathway interactions to enable practical manipulation of nitrogen use and crop yield. The technology offers potential applications in crop breeding and agricultural biotechnology for reducing fertiliser dependence.
About University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a comprehensive public research university—New Zealand’s largest—serving a broad research portfolio and a large, diverse student body. Research is anchored across adjacent city and Newmarket sites with shared core facilities, pilot lines, and test halls; the health campus sits beside major Auckland hospitals, enabling clinical translation. UniServices, the university’s commercialization company, provides a single front door for contracting, IP management, and venture formation, with experienced teams to deliver multi‑party programs. Research is supported by competitive funding from New Zealand’s major agencies and international sponsors, including programs administered by MBIE, the Health Research Council, and the Marsden Fund. Dedicated tech transfer, incubator links, and prototyping resources help partners move from discovery to pilot and scale‑up.
delivered to your inbox.