Homing in on iron homeostasis in plants

Abstract

Iron is essential for plants but is not readily accessible and is also potentially toxic. As plants are a major dietary source of iron worldwide, understanding plant iron homeostasis is pivotal for improving not only crop yields but also human nutrition. Although iron acquisition from the environment is well characterized, the transporters and reductases involved in plant organellar iron transport and some of the transcription factors that regulate iron uptake have only recently been discovered. Here, we discuss newly characterized molecular players, focusing on Arabidopsis. Localization of iron to the right compartment and accessibility of iron stores are proving crucial for maintaining proper iron homeostasis and will need to be considered in biofortification efforts currently underway.