Role of vacuolar sulfate in the nutritional quality of pea seeds

Legumes have a key role to play in both agroecological and food transitions due to their ability to accumulate large amountsof seed proteins without nitrogen fertilization thanks to symbiotic N2 fixation in the root nodules. However, in agroecologicalsystems, legumes are more exposed to nutrient deficiencies, including sulfur deficiency, than in conventional systems, makingit important to optimize nutrient use efficiency for maintain seed protein quality, in particular the level of (semi) essentialamino acids like methionine and cysteine. These sulfur-containing amino acids are synthetized through the sulfur metabolicpathway starting from sulfate reduction. Sulfate is taken up from the soil…