Genome‐wide identification, characterization, and expression analysis of the ammonium transporter gene family in tea plants (Camellia sinensis L.)

As a preferred nitrogen form, ammonium (NH4+ ) transport via specific transporters is particularly important for the growth and development of tea plants (Camellia sinensis L.). However, our understanding of the functions of the AMT family in tea plants is limited. We identified and named 16 putative AMT genes according to phylogenetic analysis. All CsAMT genes were divided into three groups, distributed on 12 chromosomes with only one segmental duplication repetition. The CsAMT genes showed different expression levels in different organs, and most of them were expressed mainly in the apical buds and roots. Complementation analysis of yeast mutants showed that CsAMTs restored the uptake of NH4+ . This study provides insights into the genome-wide distribution and spatial expression of AMT genes in tea plants.