Abstract
Plants have developed sophisticated mechanisms for acquiring iron from the soil. In the graminaceous species, a chelation strategy is in charge, in order to take up ferric iron from the rhizosphere. The ferric iron chelation-strategy components may also be present in the aerial plant parts. The aim of this work was to search for possible roles of those components in maize leaves. To this end, the expression patterns of ferric iron chelation-strategy components were monitored in the leaves and roots of mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal sulfur-deprived maize plants, both before and after sulfate supply. The two levels of sulfur supply were chosen due to the strong impact of this nutrient on iron homeostasis, whilst mycorrhizal symbiosis was chosen as a treatment that forces the plant to optimize its photosynthetic efficiency, in order to feed the fungus. The results, in combination with the findings of our previous works, suggest a role for the aforementioned components in ferric chelation and/or unloading from the xylem vessels to the aerial plant parts. It is proposed that the gene expression of the DMA exporter ZmTOM1 can be used as an early indicator for the establishment of a mycorrhizal symbiotic relationship in maize.
Highlights
Iron is an essential element for plant growth and productivity
No significant difference in the expression levels of ZmDMAS1 in the leaves of non-mycorrhizal (NM) plants was monitored during the long sulfur-deficient period of time
The addition of sulfate had no significant effect on the expression values, which remained unaffected on days 61 and
Summary
Iron is an essential element for plant growth and productivity. It participates in electron transfer reactions and is central to the function of heme- and Fe–S cluster-requiring enzymes; iron is required for various cellular processes, including respiration, photosynthesis, sulfur assimilation, and nitrogen fixation [1]. Plants have developed sophisticated and tightly regulated mechanisms for acquiring iron from soil. Non-graminaceous plants reduce ferric iron to the more soluble ferrous form at the root surface, by exporting a number of metabolites (including organic acids, phenolics, flavonoids and flavins), inducing the expression of ferric-chelate reductase, and they transport the resulting ferrous ions across the root plasma membrane
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