Work

Malate-dependent Fe accumulation is a critical checkpoint in the root developmental response to low phosphate

Year: 2017

Type: article

Abstract: Significance Phosphate (Pi) deficiency constrains plant development and productivity in both natural and agricultural ecosystems. An interaction among Pi and Fe availability controls the developmental program that allows the Arabidopsis root system to more effectively explore the topsoil where Pi accumulates. Analysis of mutants unable to establish root architecture responses to low Pi allowed the identification of mutant alleles of STOP1 (a transcription factor) and ALMT1 (a malate transporter), two genes previously reported to play a role in the malate-mediated tolerance to toxic levels of aluminum. We show that these genes underlie a malate-exudation–dependent mechanism of Fe relocation in the root apical meristem that is essential for reprogramming root growth under low-Pi conditions.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1701952114