Abstract
All living organisms require iron (Fe) to carry out many crucial metabolic pathways. Despite its high concentrations in the geosphere, Fe bio-availability to plant roots can be very scarce. To cope with Fe shortage, plants can activate different strategies. For these reasons, we investigated Fe deficient Hordeum vulgare L. plants by monitoring growth, phytosiderophores (PS) release, iron content, and translocation, and DNA methylation, with respect to Fe sufficient ones. Reductions of plant growth, roots to shoots Fe translocation, and increases in PS release were found. Experiments on DNA methylation highlighted significant differences between fully and hemy-methylated sequences in Fe deficient plants, with respect to Fe sufficient plants. Eleven DNA bands differently methylated were found in starved plants. Of these, five sequences showed significant alignment to barley genes encoding for a glucosyltransferase, a putative acyl carrier protein, a peroxidase, a β-glucosidase and a transcription factor containing a Homeodomin. A resupply experiment was carried out on starved barley re-fed at 13 days after sowing (DAS), and it showed that plants did not recover after Fe addition. In fact, Fe absorption and root to shoot translocation capacities were impaired. In addition, resupplied barley showed DNA methylation/demethylation patterns very similar to that of barley grown in Fe deprivation. This last finding is very encouraging because it indicates as these variations/modifications could be transmitted to progenies.
Highlights
Iron (Fe) represents an essential nutrient for all organisms, due to its fundamental role in numerous cellular processes and functions
We investigated the effect of Fe deprivation on plant growth, chlorophyll content, on the concentrations of PS released by roots, the Fe content in shoots and roots and the changes in the DNA methylation status caused by the Fe deprivation
Length and Weight of Shoots and Roots, and Chlorophyll Content in Barley Plants ±Fe Iron shortage affected the growth of seedlings of barley starting from 15 days after sowing (DAS)
Summary
Iron (Fe) represents an essential nutrient for all organisms, due to its fundamental role in numerous cellular processes and functions. Its deficiency is a very serious problem for human nutrition (Hell and Stephan, 2003). In 1995 it has been documented that Fe deficiency was affecting almost 4 billion people worldwide, whilst in 2002 it has been estimated that almost 30% of human population was anemic (Hell and Stephan, 2003). The occurrence of Fe deficit in humans is mainly caused by the consumption of food with low Fe levels. Crops are the major source of Fe to humans and animals (Hell and Stephan, 2003)
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