title: Functional biology of plant phosphate uptake at root and mycorrhiza interfaces.
abstract: Phosphorus (P) is an essential plant nutrient and one of the most limiting in natural habitats as well as in agricultural production world-wide. The control of P acquisition efficiency and its subsequent uptake and translocation in vascular plants is complex. The physiological role of key cellular structures in plant P uptake and underlying molecular mechanisms are discussed in this review, with emphasis on phosphate transport across the cellular membrane at the root and arbuscular-mycorrhizal (AM) interfaces. The tools of molecular genetics have facilitated novel approaches and provided one of the major driving forces in the investigation of the basic transport mechanisms underlying plant P nutrition. Genetic engineering holds the potential to modify the system in a targeted way at the root-soil or AM symbiotic interface. Such approaches should assist in the breeding of crop plants that exhibit improved P acquisition efficiency and thus require lower inputs of P fertilizer for optimal growth. Whether engineering of P transport systems can contribute to enhanced P uptake will be discussed.
authors.affiliation: ETH Zurich, Institute of Plant Sciences, Experimental Station Eschikon 33, CH-8315 Lindau, Switzerland. mbucher@ethz.ch
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bucher
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport / Q000235:genetics; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D023281:Genomics; D008954:Models, Biological; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D028061:Phosphate Transport Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D028061:Phosphate Transport Proteins; D010710:Phosphates; D010940:Plant Proteins