Limiting nutrients: an old problem with new solutions?
Iron and phosphorus are essential minerals for both humans and plants. Advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the mobilization, transport and storage of these minerals now allow us to engineer plants to improve the yield and mineral nutrition of crops. Strategies range from increasing the expression of endogenous genes, such as that encoding the iron storage protein ferritin, to expressing a phytase gene from the fungus Aspergillus in Arabidopsis, thereby allowing the plants to obtain a previously unusable pool of phosphorus.
Grotz
Natasha
N
Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA.
Guerinot
Mary Lou
ML
D015870:Gene Expression; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000502:physiology*; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000172:deficiency / Q000502:physiology*; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis
D012987:Soil; D010758:Phosphorus; D007501:Iron