Micronutrients Movement from Soil to the Grains: Role of Plant Membrane Transporters

About this Research Topic

Background

Micronutrients such as iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), boron (B), molybdenum (Mo), chloride (Cl), and nickel (Ni) are essential for plant growth and development. They are involved in multiple cellular and molecular processes in plants but are required in a small amount for plant growth. However, the availability of micronutrients varied largely (deficiency or excess) in the soil. To adapt to these variations, plants employ a number of transporters to uptake such nutrients by the roots from the soil, which are then translocated to the shoots, distributed to different organs and tissues, and finally delivered to the grains. Thanks to the new genomic resources and tools, a large array of micronutrient transporters has been identified, and some of them have been functionally characterized.

Although a number of transporters involve in micronutrient uptake have been identified and characterized, the mechanisms involved in translocation, distribution, and deliver to grains remain largely unknown. On the other hand, based on homology search, a number of transporters has been annotated, and remain to be characterized. Fully understanding the function of novel micronutrient transporters can confer ability for plants to adapt to variable soil stress, improve nutrient use efficiency and yield, and also can provide theoretical and experimental basis to generating biofortified plants.

We welcome submissions of different types of manuscripts including original research papers, reviews, and methods, including but not limited to the topics:

· Characterization of transporters involved in micronutrients acquisition, translocation, redistribution and distribution within plants.

· Understanding of genetic basis of adaption to variable micronutrient availability in soil, including works in model and non-model plants species

· Plant manipulation to enhance micronutrients loading to the grains and decrease harmful trace-elements to grains and other plant tissues, either using natural variation, breeding or genetic engineering methods

Keywords: Membrane transporter, micronutrients, soil, grain, plant nutrition

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