title: Recent insights into iron homeostasis and their application in graminaceous crops.
abstract: Higher plants utilize various mechanisms to maintain iron homeostasis. To acquire sparingly soluble iron from the rhizosphere, graminaceous plants synthesize natural iron (III) chelators known as mugineic acid family phytosiderophores (MAs). Recent research has uncovered various genes involved in iron uptake and translocation, as well as factors regulating the expression of these genes, especially in rice. Manipulation of these molecular components is used to produce transgenic crops with enhanced tolerance to iron deficiency, or with a high seed iron content. Since iron homeostasis is closely linked to that of other mineral elements, an understanding of this phenomenon will serve as the basis for the production of crops with low concentrations of toxic metals and transgenic plants for phytoremediation.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
authors.forename: Naoko K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Nishizawa
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000235:genetics; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008903:Minerals / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals; D007501:Iron