Optimizing carbon and nitrogen metabolism in plants: From fundamental principles to practical applications

Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) are fundamental elements essential for plant growth and development, serving as the structural and functional backbone of organic compounds and driving essential biological processes such as photosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, and N assimilation. The metabolism and transport of C involve the movement of sugars between shoots and roots through xylem and phloem transport systems, regulated by a sugar-signaling hub. Nitrogen uptake, transport, and metabolism are equally critical, with plants assimilating nitrate and ammonium through specialized transporters and enzymes in response to varying N levels to optimize growth and development. The coordination of C and N metabolism is key to plant productivity and the maintaining of agroecosystem stability. However, inefficient utilization of N fertilizers results in substantial environmental and economic challenges, emphasizing the urgent need to improve N use efficiency (NUE) in crops. Integrating efficient photosynthesis with N uptake offers opportunities for sustainable agricultural practices. This review discusses recent advances in understanding C and N transport, metabolism, and signaling in plants, with a particular emphasis on NUE-related genes in rice, and explores breeding strategies to enhance crop efficiency and agricultural sustainability.