The alleviation of ammonium toxicity in plants.

Nitrogen (N) is an essential macronutrient for plants and profoundly affects crop yields and qualities. Ammonium (NH ) and nitrate (NO ) are major inorganic N forms absorbed by plants from the surrounding environments. Intriguingly, NH is usually toxic to plants when it serves as the sole or dominant N source. It is thus important for plants to coordinate the utilization of NH and the alleviation of NH toxicity. To fully decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying how plants minimize NH toxicity may broadly benefit agricultural practice. In the current minireview, we attempt to discuss recent discoveries in the strategies for mitigating NH toxicity in plants, which may provide potential solutions for improving the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and stress adaptions in crops.