Dissecting plant iron homeostasis under short and long-term iron fluctuations

Summary

This narrative review integrates current understanding of plant iron homeostasis across short-term and long-term iron fluctuations, examining uptake mechanisms, intracellular regulatory proteins (ferritin, aconitase), signalling molecules (nitric oxide), and interactions with other mineral nutrient deficiencies. The authors contextualise these mechanisms within evolutionary perspectives on oxygen and iron availability and assess their application to crop biofortification for human nutritional benefit.

Regional applicability

The review is mechanistic and fundamental in scope, addressing plant physiology universally. Findings are applicable to United Kingdom crop production contexts, particularly for cereal biofortification programmes and understanding nutrient-dense food production, though the review does not address UK-specific growing conditions or policy.

Key measures

Iron uptake mechanisms, ferritin isoforms, nitric oxide and nitrosylation, heme metabolism, aconitase activity, vacuolar pH, diurnal fluctuations in iron metabolism, cross-homeostasis with phosphorus and copper

Outcomes reported

The review synthesises knowledge on plant iron homeostasis mechanisms under varying iron availability, including uptake systems, regulatory proteins, and cross-elemental interactions. It evaluates how this understanding can inform biofortification strategies to address human iron deficiency.

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