Iron availability regulates PIN-mediated auxin transport and distribution to modulate root gravitropic growth in Arabidopsis
Discuss this preprint
Start a discussion What are Sciety discussions?Listed in
This article is not in any list yet, why not save it to one of your lists.Abstract
Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient for plant growth, and the hormone auxin is a key regulator of developmental processes, including root gravitropism. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the crosstalk between iron nutrition and auxin-mediated root growth in Arabidopsis thaliana . Phenotypic analysis revealed that iron deficiency strongly shaped root system architecture and root gravitropism, and these phenotypes were exacerbated in the iron uptake mutant irt1-1 . Genetic analysis revealed that iron deficiency did not aggravate the gravitropic defect of the pin2 mutant, eir1-4 , suggesting that iron availability modulates root gravitropism through a PIN2 -dependent pathway. Further transcriptomic analysis confirmed that iron deficiency significantly altered the expression of numerous genes related to the auxin pathway, providing molecular evidence for the observed physiological connection. Collectively, this study revealed that iron availability regulates root gravitropic growth by modulating PIN-mediated auxin transport and distribution, providing insights into how plants integrate nutritional cues with developmental programs.
Graphical abstract
A brief description
Iron modulates auxin transport and root tip distribution by regulating PIN2 protein, thereby mediating root gravitropism in Arabidopsis .
Public summary
Iron nutrition specifically regulates root gravitropism and architecture in Arabidopsis .
Iron deficiency disrupts local auxin homeostasis in root tips and impairs asymmetric distribution in response to gravity.
Iron deficiency stress significantly reduces the abundance of PIN2 protein in root tip cells and disrupts its polar localization pattern on the plasma membrane, thereby precisely modulating polar auxin transport by interfering with the vesicle trafficking and recycling efficiency of PIN2.
RNA-seq results showed that iron deficiency induced differential expression of multiple auxin-related genes, indicating that iron nutrition affects root development through the auxin pathway.
