Abstract
The quality of edible seeds for human and animal nutrition is crucially dependent on high zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) seed concentrations. The micronutrient bioavailability is strongly reduced by seed phytate that forms complexes with seed cations. Superior genotypes with increased seed Zn concentrations had been identified, but low micronutrient seed levels often prevail when the plants are grown in Zn-deficient soils, which are globally widespread and correlate with human Zn-deficiency. Here, seed Zn concentrations of Arabidopsis accessions grown in Zn-deficient and Zn-amended conditions were measured together with seed Fe and manganese (Mn), in a panel of 108 accessions. By applying genome-wide association, de novo candidate genes potentially involved in the seed micronutrient accumulation were identified. However, a candidate inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate 5/6-kinase 3 gene (ITPK3), located close to a significant nucleotide polymorphism associated with relative Zn seed concentrations, was dispensable for seed micronutrients accumulation in Col-0. Loss of this gene in itpk3-1 did neither affect phytate seed levels, nor seed Zn, Fe, and Mn. It is concluded that large natural variance of micronutrient seed levels is identified in the population and several accessions maintain high seed Zn despite growth in Zn-deficient conditions.
Highlights
Zinc is an essential micronutrient for plant growth, and at the same time an important dietary source of minerals for humans (Marschner, 2011)
Seed Zn, Fe, and Mn concentrations were measured from plants grown in a Zn-sufficient (+Zn) and a Zn-deficient (−Zn) soil
The genes were annotated with MapMan (Usadel et al, 2009) and broad distributed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that were highly associated with the phenotypes were selected, by the criterion of minor allele frequency (MAF) ≥ 0.1 and –log (p_value) ≥ 5
Summary
Zinc is an essential micronutrient for plant growth, and at the same time an important dietary source of minerals for humans (Marschner, 2011). Plant Zn deficiency is a widespread problem due to the limited soil availability of Zn, often as a result of high CaCO3 and high pH, in many agricultural areas (Alloway, 2004; Cakmak, 2008). Zn deficiency is a current prevalent phenomenon in plants and humans, especially those that rely mostly on plant-based diets, but its relevance will increase in the near future (Alloway, 2004; Wessells and Brown, 2012). Candidate Genes for Seed Micronutrients Accumulation grains involve agronomic and genetic means, but the overall potential to genetically increase grain Zn appears limited (in contrast to potentially high leaf Zn in hyperaccumulators), especially when soil Zn is low (White and Broadley, 2011)
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