title: The Response of the Root Apex in Plant Adaptation to Iron Heterogeneity in Soil.
abstract: Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient for plant growth and development, and is frequently limiting. By contrast, over-accumulation of Fe in plant tissues leads to toxicity. In soils, the distribution of Fe is highly heterogeneous. To cope with this heterogeneity, plant roots engage an array of adaptive responses to adjust their morphology and physiology. In this article, we review root morphological and physiological changes in response to low- and high-Fe conditions and highlight differences between these responses. We especially focus on the role of the root apex in dealing with the stresses resulting from Fe shortage and excess.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Guangjie
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Herbert J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kronzucker
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Weiming
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shi
keywords: iron; morphology; physiology; plant; root apex