Urea metabolism in plants

▶ Plants have a dedicated high affinity urea transporter and passive urea transporters. ▶ Three urease accessory proteins are involved in plant urease activation. ▶ Only arginine and not ureides are sources for urea in plant metabolism. ▶ Plant urease can rapidly hydrolyse even high amounts of urea from fertilization. ▶ Improving plant urea metabolism could potentially increase nitrogen use efficiency.