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Hazra S, Moulick D, Mukherjee A, Sahib S, Chowardhara B, Majumdar A, Upadhyay MK, Yadav P, Roy P, Santra SC, Mandal S, Nandy S, Dey A. Evaluation of efficacy of non-coding RNA in abiotic stress management of field crops: Current status and future prospective. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2023; 203:107940. [PMID: 37738864 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Abiotic stresses are responsible for the major losses in crop yield all over the world. Stresses generate harmful ROS which can impair cellular processes in plants. Therefore, plants have evolved antioxidant systems in defence against the stress-induced damages. The frequency of occurrence of abiotic stressors has increased several-fold due to the climate change experienced in recent times and projected for the future. This had particularly aggravated the risk of yield losses and threatened global food security. Non-coding RNAs are the part of eukaryotic genome that does not code for any proteins. However, they have been recently found to have a crucial role in the responses of plants to both abiotic and biotic stresses. There are different types of ncRNAs, for example, miRNAs and lncRNAs, which have the potential to regulate the expression of stress-related genes at the levels of transcription, post-transcription, and translation of proteins. The lncRNAs are also able to impart their epigenetic effects on the target genes through the alteration of the status of histone modification and organization of the chromatins. The current review attempts to deliver a comprehensive account of the role of ncRNAs in the regulation of plants' abiotic stress responses through ROS homeostasis. The potential applications ncRNAs in amelioration of abiotic stresses in field crops also have been evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Hazra
- Sharda School of Agricultural Sciences, Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201310, India.
| | - Debojyoti Moulick
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal 741235, India.
| | | | - Synudeen Sahib
- S. S. Cottage, Njarackal, P.O.: Perinad, Kollam, 691601, Kerala, India.
| | - Bhaben Chowardhara
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science and Technology, Arunachal University of Studies, Arunachal Pradesh 792103, India.
| | - Arnab Majumdar
- Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, West Bengal 741246, India.
| | - Munish Kumar Upadhyay
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India.
| | - Poonam Yadav
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221005, India.
| | - Priyabrata Roy
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Kalyani, West Bengal 741235, India.
| | - Subhas Chandra Santra
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal 741235, India.
| | - Sayanti Mandal
- Department of Biotechnology, Dr. D. Y. Patil Arts, Commerce & Science College (affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University), Sant Tukaram Nagar, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra-411018, India.
| | - Samapika Nandy
- School of Pharmacy, Graphic Era Hill University, Bell Road, Clement Town, Dehradun, 248002, Uttarakhand, India; Department of Botany, Vedanta College, 33A Shiv Krishna Daw Lane, Kolkata-700054, India.
| | - Abhijit Dey
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, Kolkata, West Bengal 700073, India.
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Krishna TPA, Ceasar SA, Maharajan T. Biofortification of Crops to Fight Anemia: Role of Vacuolar Iron Transporters. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:3583-3598. [PMID: 36802625 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c07727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Plant-based foods provide all the crucial nutrients for human health. Among these, iron (Fe) is one of the essential micronutrients for plants and humans. A lack of Fe is a major limiting factor affecting crop quality, production, and human health. There are people who suffer from various health problems due to the low intake of Fe in their plant-based foods. Anemia has become a serious public health issue due to Fe deficiency. Enhancing Fe content in the edible part of food crops is a major thrust area for scientists worldwide. Recent progress in nutrient transporters has provided an opportunity to resolve Fe deficiency or nutritional problems in plants and humans. Understanding the structure, function, and regulation of Fe transporters is essential to address Fe deficiency in plants and to improve Fe content in staple food crops. In this review, we summarized the role of Fe transporter family members in the uptake, cellular and intercellular movement, and long-distance transport of Fe in plants. We draw insights into the role of vacuolar membrane transporters in the crop for Fe biofortification. We also provide structural and functional insights into cereal crops' vacuolar iron transporters (VITs). This review will help highlight the importance of VITs for improving the Fe biofortification of crops and alleviating Fe deficiency in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stanislaus Antony Ceasar
- Division of Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biosciences, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kochi 683104, Kerala, India
| | - Theivanayagam Maharajan
- Division of Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biosciences, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kochi 683104, Kerala, India
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Krishna TPA, Maharajan T, Ceasar SA. The Role of Membrane Transporters in the Biofortification of Zinc and Iron in Plants. Biol Trace Elem Res 2023; 201:464-478. [PMID: 35182385 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-022-03159-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Over three billion people suffer from various health issues due to the low supply of zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) in their food. Low supply of micronutrients is the main cause of malnutrition and biofortification could help to solve this issue. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of biofortification is challenging. The membrane transporters are involved in the uptake, transport, storage, and redistribution of Zn and Fe in plants. These transporters are also involved in biofortification and help to load the Zn and Fe into the endosperm of the seeds. Very little knowledge is available on the role and functions of membrane transporters involved in seed biofortification. Understanding the mechanism and role of membrane transporters could be helpful to improve biofortification. In this review, we provide the details on membrane transporters involved in the uptake, transport, storage, and redistribution of Zn and Fe. We also discuss available information on transporters involved in seed biofortification. This review will help plant breeders and molecular biologists understand the importance and implications of membrane transporters for seed biofortification.
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Affiliation(s)
- T P Ajeesh Krishna
- Department of Biosciences, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kochi, 683104, Kerala, India
| | - T Maharajan
- Department of Biosciences, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kochi, 683104, Kerala, India
| | - S Antony Ceasar
- Department of Biosciences, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kochi, 683104, Kerala, India.
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Zhou M, Zheng S. Multi-Omics Uncover the Mechanism of Wheat under Heavy Metal Stress. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232415968. [PMID: 36555610 PMCID: PMC9785819 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232415968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental pollution of heavy metals has received growing attention in recent years. Heavy metals such as cadmium, lead and mercury can cause physiological and morphological disturbances which adversely affect the growth and quality of crops. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) can accumulate high contents of heavy metals in its edible parts. Understanding wheat response to heavy metal stress and its management in decreasing heavy metal uptake and accumulation may help to improve its growth and grain quality. Very recently, emerging advances in heavy metal toxicity and phytoremediation methods to reduce heavy metal pollution have been made in wheat. Especially, the molecular mechanisms of wheat under heavy metal stress are increasingly being recognized. In this review, we focus on the recently described epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, ionomics and multi-omics combination, as well as functional genes uncovering heavy metal stress in wheat. The findings in this review provide some insights into challenges and future recommendations for wheat under heavy metal stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhou
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
- Center of Plant Functional Genomics, Institute of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Shigang Zheng
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
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Roy C, Kumar S, Ranjan RD, Kumhar SR, Govindan V. Genomic approaches for improving grain zinc and iron content in wheat. Front Genet 2022; 13:1045955. [PMID: 36437911 PMCID: PMC9683485 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1045955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
More than three billion people worldwide suffer from iron deficiency associated anemia and an equal number people suffer from zinc deficiency. These conditions are more prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. In developing countries, children under the age of five with stunted growth and pregnant or lactating women were found to be at high risk of zinc and iron deficiencies. Biofortification, defined as breeding to develop varieties of staple food crops whose grain contains higher levels of micronutrients such as iron and zinc, are one of the most promising, cost-effective and sustainable ways to improve the health in resource-poor households, particularly in rural areas where families consume some part of what they grow. Biofortification through conventional breeding in wheat, particularly for grain zinc and iron, have made significant contributions, transferring important genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) from wild and related species into cultivated wheat. Nonetheless, the quantitative, genetically complex nature of iron and zinc levels in wheat grain limits progress through conventional breeding, making it difficult to attain genetic gain both for yield and grain mineral concentrations. Wheat biofortification can be achieved by enhancing mineral uptake, source-to-sink translocation of minerals and their deposition into grains, and the bioavailability of the minerals. A number of QTLs with major and minor effects for those traits have been detected in wheat; introducing the most effective into breeding lines will increase grain zinc and iron concentrations. New approaches to achieve this include marker assisted selection and genomic selection. Faster breeding approaches need to be combined to simultaneously increase grain mineral content and yield in wheat breeding lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandan Roy
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Agriculture University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Sudhir Kumar
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Bihar Agricultural University, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India
| | - Rakesh Deo Ranjan
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Bihar Agricultural University, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India
| | - Sita Ram Kumhar
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Agriculture University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Velu Govindan
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Mexico City, Mexico
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Kumar J, Mishra A, Kumar A, Kaur G, Sharma H, Kaur S, Sharma S, Devi K, Garg M, Pandey AK, Bishnoi M, Pareek A, Roy J. Whole genome re-sequencing of indian wheat genotypes for identification of genomic variants for grain iron and zinc content. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:7123-7133. [PMID: 35717473 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07593-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Whole-genome sequencing information which is of abundant significance for genetic evolution, and breeding of crops. Wheat (Triticum spp) is most widely grown and consumed crops globally. Micronutrients are very essential for healthy development of human being and their sufficient consumption in diet is essential for various metabolic functions. Biofortification of wheat grains with iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) has proved the most reliable and effective way to combat micronutrient associated deficiency. Genetic variability for grain micronutrient could provide insight to dissect the traits. METHODS AND RESULTS In the current study, 1300 wheat lines were screened for grain Fe and Zn content, out of which only five important Indian wheat genotypes were selected on the basis of Fe and Zn contents. These lines were multiplied during at the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) and re-sequenced to identify genomic variants in candidate genes for Fe and Zn between the genotypes. Whole genome sequencing generated ̴ 12 Gb clean data. Comparative genome analysis identified 254 genomic variants in the candidate genes associated with deleterious effect on protein function. CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrated the fundamental in understanding the genomic variations for Fe and Zn enrichment to generate healthier wheat grains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitendra Kumar
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Sector-81, 140306, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Ankita Mishra
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Sector-81, 140306, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Ashish Kumar
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Sector-81, 140306, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Gazaldeep Kaur
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Sector-81, 140306, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Himanshu Sharma
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Sector-81, 140306, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Satveer Kaur
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Sector-81, 140306, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Shivani Sharma
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Sector-81, 140306, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Kirti Devi
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Sector-81, 140306, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Monika Garg
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Sector-81, 140306, Mohali, Punjab, India.
| | - Ajay K Pandey
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Sector-81, 140306, Mohali, Punjab, India. .,School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, India.
| | - Mahendra Bishnoi
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Sector-81, 140306, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Ashwani Pareek
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Sector-81, 140306, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Joy Roy
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Sector-81, 140306, Mohali, Punjab, India.
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Kenzhebayeva S, Atabayeva S, Sarsu F, Abekova A, Shoinbekova S, Omirbekova N, Doktyrbay G, Beisenova A, Shavrukov Y. Organ-specific expression of genes involved in iron homeostasis in wheat mutant lines with increased grain iron and zinc content. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13515. [PMID: 35707120 PMCID: PMC9190668 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Iron deficiency is a well-known nutritional disorder, and the imbalance of trace-elements, specifically iron, is the most common nutrient deficiency of foods across the world, including in Kazakhstan. Wheat has significant nutritional relevance, especially in the provision of iron, however many bread wheat varieties have low iron despite the need for human nourishment. In this study, the expression profiles of wheat homologous genes related to iron homeostasis were investigated. The work resulted in the development of two new M5 mutant lines of spring bread wheat through gamma-irradiation (200 Gy) with higher grain iron and zinc content, lower phytic acid content, and enhanced iron bioavailability compared to the parent variety. Mutant lines were also characterized by higher means of yield associated traits such as grain number per main spike, grain weight per main spike, grain weight per plant, and thousand-grain weight. Methods The homologous genes of bread wheat from several groups were selected for gene expression studies exploring the tight control of iron uptake, translocation rate and accumulation in leaves and roots, and comprised the following: (1) S-adenosylmethionine synthase (SAMS), nicotianamine synthase (NAS1), nicotianamine aminotransferase (NAAT), deoxymugineic acid synthetase (DMAS), involved in the synthesis and release of phytosiderophores; (2) transcription factor basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH); (3) transporters of mugineic acid (TOM), involved in long-distance iron transport; (4) yellow stripe-like (YSlA), and the vacuolar transporter (VIT2), involved in intracellular iron transport and storage; and lastly (5) natural resistance-associated macrophage protein (NRAMP) and ferritin (Fer1A). Results The wheat homologous genes TaSAMS, TaNAS1, and TaDMAS, were significantly up-regulated in the roots of both mutant lines by 2.1-4.7-fold compared to the parent variety. The combined over-expression of TaYSlA and TaVIT2 was also revealed in the roots of mutant lines by 1.3-2.7-fold. In one of the mutant lines, genes encoding intracellular iron transport and storage genes TaNRAMP and TaFer1A-D showed significant up-regulation in roots and leaves (by 1.4- and 3.5-fold, respectively). The highest expression was recorded in the transcription factor TabHLH, which was expressed 13.1- and 30.2-fold in the roots of mutant lines. Our research revealed that genotype-dependent and organ-specific gene expression profiles can provide new insights into iron uptake, translocation rate, storage, and regulation in wheat which aid the prioritization of gene targets for iron biofortification and bioavailability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saule Kenzhebayeva
- Department of Biotechnology/Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Saule Atabayeva
- Department of Biotechnology/Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Fatma Sarsu
- Plant Breeding and Genetics Section, General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Alfiya Abekova
- Kazakh Research Institute of Agriculture and Plant Growing, Almaty Region, Kazakhstan
| | - Sabina Shoinbekova
- Department of Biotechnology/Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Nargul Omirbekova
- Department of Biotechnology/Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Gulina Doktyrbay
- Department of Biotechnology/Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Aizhan Beisenova
- Department of Molecular Biology, Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Yuri Shavrukov
- College of Science and Engineering (Biological Sciences), Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
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Wani SH, Gaikwad K, Razzaq A, Samantara K, Kumar M, Govindan V. Improving Zinc and Iron Biofortification in Wheat through Genomics Approaches. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:8007-8023. [PMID: 35661970 PMCID: PMC9165711 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07326-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Globally, about 20% of calories (energy) come from wheat. In some countries, it is more than 70%. More than 2 billion people are at risk for zinc deficiency and even more, people are at risk of iron deficiency, nearly a quarter of all children underage group of 5 are physically and cognitively stunted, and lack of dietary zinc is a major contributing factor. Biofortified wheat with elevated levels of zinc and iron has several potential advantages as a delivery vehicle for micronutrients in the diets of resource-poor consumers who depend on cereal-based diets. The conventional breeding strategies have been successful in the introduction of novel alleles for grain Zn and Fe that led to the release of competitive Zn enriched wheat varieties in South Asia. The major challenge over the next few decades will be to maintain the rates of genetic gains for grain yield along with increased grain Zn/Fe concentration to meet the food and nutritional security challenges. Therefore, to remain competitive, the performance of Zn-enhanced lines/varieties must be equal or superior to that of current non-biofortified elite lines/varieties. Since both yield and Zn content are invisible and quantitatively inherited traits except few intermediate effect QTL regions identified for grain Zn, increased breeding efforts and new approaches are required to combine them at high frequency, ensuring that Zn levels are steadily increased to the required levels across the breeding pipelines. The current review article provides a comprehensive list of genomic regions for enhancing grain Zn and Fe concentrations in wheat including key candidate gene families such NAS, ZIP, VLT, ZIFL, and YSL. Implementing forward breeding by taking advantage of the rapid cycling trait pipeline approaches would simultaneously introgress high Zn and Fe QTL into the high Zn and normal elite lines, further increasing Zn and Fe concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shabir Hussain Wani
- Mountain Research Centre for Field Crops, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, 192102 Khudwani, J&K India
| | - Kiran Gaikwad
- ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa Campus, 110012 New Delhi, India
| | - Ali Razzaq
- Centre of Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, 38040 Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Kajal Samantara
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Centurion University of Technology and Management, 761211 Odisha, India
| | - Manjeet Kumar
- ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa Campus, 110012 New Delhi, India
| | - Velu Govindan
- Global Wheat Program International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center Texcoco Mexico, Texcoco, Mexico
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Kumar A, Kaur G, Singh P, Meena V, Sharma S, Tiwari M, Bauer P, Pandey AK. Strategies and Bottlenecks in Hexaploid Wheat to Mobilize Soil Iron to Grains. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:863849. [PMID: 35574143 PMCID: PMC9100831 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.863849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Our knowledge of iron (Fe) uptake and mobilization in plants is mainly based on Arabidopsis and rice. Although multiple players of Fe homeostasis have been elucidated, there is a significant gap in our understanding of crop species, such as wheat. It is, therefore, imperative not only to understand the different hurdles for Fe enrichment in tissues but also to address specifically the knowns/unknowns involved in the plausible mechanism of Fe sensing, signaling, transport, and subsequent storage in plants. In the present review, a unique perspective has been described in light of recent knowledge generated in wheat, an economically important crop. The strategies to boost efficient Fe uptake, transcriptional regulation, and long-distance mobilization in grains have been discussed, emphasizing recent biotechnological routes to load Fe in grains. This article also highlights the new elements of physiological and molecular genetics that underpin the mechanistic insight for the identified Fe-related genes and discusses the bottlenecks in unloading the Fe in grains. The information presented here will provide much-needed resources and directions to overcome challenges and design efficient strategies to enhance the Fe density in wheat grains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali, India
| | - Gazaldeep Kaur
- Department of Biotechnology, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali, India
| | - Palvinder Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali, India
| | - Varsha Meena
- Department of Biotechnology, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali, India
| | - Shivani Sharma
- Department of Biotechnology, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali, India
| | - Manish Tiwari
- CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, India
| | - Petra Bauer
- Institute of Botany, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ajay Kumar Pandey
- Department of Biotechnology, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali, India
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Jogawat A, Yadav B, Narayan OP. Metal transporters in organelles and their roles in heavy metal transportation and sequestration mechanisms in plants. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2021; 173:259-275. [PMID: 33586164 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Heavy metal toxicity is one of the major concerns for agriculture and health. Accumulation of toxic heavy metals at high concentrations in edible parts of crop plants is the primary cause of disease in humans and cattle. A dramatic increase in industrialization, urbanization, and other high anthropogenic activities has led to the accumulation of heavy metals in agricultural soil, which has consequently disrupted soil conditions and affected crop yield. By now, plants have developed several mechanisms to cope with heavy metal stress. However, not all plants are equally effective in dealing with the toxicity of high heavy metal concentrations. Plants have modified their anatomy, morphophysiology, and molecular networks to survive under changing environmental conditions. Heavy metal sequestration is one of the essential processes evolved by some plants to deal with heavy metals' toxic concentration. Some plants even have the ability to accumulate metals in high quantities in the shoots/organelles without toxic effects. For intercellular and interorganeller metal transport, plants harbor spatially distributed various transporters which mainly help in uptake, translocation, and redistribution of metals. This review discusses different heavy metal transporters in different organelles and their roles in metal sequestration and redistribution to help plants cope with heavy metal stress. A good understanding of the processes at stake helps in developing more tolerant crops without affecting their productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bindu Yadav
- School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
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Gupta OP, Pandey V, Saini R, Khandale T, Singh A, Malik VK, Narwal S, Ram S, Singh GP. Comparative physiological, biochemical and transcriptomic analysis of hexaploid wheat (T. aestivum L.) roots and shoots identifies potential pathways and their molecular regulatory network during Fe and Zn starvation. Genomics 2021; 113:3357-3372. [PMID: 34339815 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2021.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The combined effect of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) starvation on their uptake and transportation and the molecular regulatory networks is poorly understood in wheat. To fill this gap, we performed a comprehensive physiological, biochemical and transcriptome analysis in two bread wheat genotypes, i.e. Narmada 195 and PBW 502, differing in inherent Fe and Zn content. Compared to PBW 502, Narmada 195 exhibited increased tolerance to Fe and Zn withdrawal by significantly modulating the critical physiological and biochemical parameters. We identified 25 core genes associated with four key pathways, i.e. methionine cycle, phytosiderophore biosynthesis, antioxidant and transport system, that exhibited significant up-regulation in both the genotypes with a maximum in Narmada 195. We also identified 26 microRNAs targeting 14 core genes across the four pathways. Together, core genes identified can serve as valuable resources for further functional research for genetic improvement of Fe and Zn content in wheat grain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Om Prakash Gupta
- Division of Quality and Basic Sciences, ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Karnal, 132001, Haryana, India.
| | - Vanita Pandey
- Division of Quality and Basic Sciences, ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Karnal, 132001, Haryana, India
| | - Ritu Saini
- Division of Quality and Basic Sciences, ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Karnal, 132001, Haryana, India
| | - Tushar Khandale
- Division of Quality and Basic Sciences, ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Karnal, 132001, Haryana, India
| | - Ajeet Singh
- Division of Quality and Basic Sciences, ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Karnal, 132001, Haryana, India
| | - Vipin Kumar Malik
- Division of Quality and Basic Sciences, ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Karnal, 132001, Haryana, India
| | - Sneh Narwal
- Division of Quality and Basic Sciences, ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Karnal, 132001, Haryana, India; Division of Biochemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Sewa Ram
- Division of Quality and Basic Sciences, ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Karnal, 132001, Haryana, India.
| | - Gyanendra Pratap Singh
- ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Karnal, 132001, Haryana, India
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12
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Annotation and Molecular Characterisation of the TaIRO3 and TaHRZ Iron Homeostasis Genes in Bread Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.). Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12050653. [PMID: 33925484 PMCID: PMC8146704 DOI: 10.3390/genes12050653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Effective maintenance of plant iron (Fe) homoeostasis relies on a network of transcription factors (TFs) that respond to environmental conditions and regulate Fe uptake, translocation, and storage. The iron-related transcription factor 3 (IRO3), as well as haemerythrin motif-containing really interesting new gene (RING) protein and zinc finger protein (HRZ), are major regulators of Fe homeostasis in diploid species like Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice (Oryza sativa L.), but remain uncharacterised in hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In this study, we have identified, annotated, and characterised three TaIRO3 homoeologs and six TaHRZ1 and TaHRZ2 homoeologs in the bread wheat genome. Protein analysis revealed that TaIRO3 and TaHRZ proteins contain functionally conserved domains for DNA-binding, dimerisation, Fe binding, or polyubiquitination, and phylogenetic analysis revealed clustering of TaIRO3 and TaHRZ proteins with other monocot IRO3 and HRZ proteins, respectively. Quantitative reverse-transcription PCR analysis revealed that all TaIRO3 and TaHRZ homoeologs have unique tissue expression profiles and are upregulated in shoot tissues in response to Fe deficiency. After 24 h of Fe deficiency, the expression of TaHRZ homoeologs was upregulated, while the expression of TaIRO3 homoeologs was unchanged, suggesting that TaHRZ functions upstream of TaIRO3 in the wheat Fe homeostasis TF network.
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13
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Ram H, Sardar S, Gandass N. Vacuolar Iron Transporter (Like) proteins: Regulators of cellular iron accumulation in plants. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2021; 171:823-832. [PMID: 33580885 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Iron is not only important for plant physiology, but also a very important micronutrient in human diets. The vacuole is the main site for accumulation of excess amounts of various nutrients and toxic substances in plant cells. During the past decade, many Vacuolar Iron Transporter (VIT) and VIT-Like (VTL) genes have been identified and shown to play important roles in iron homeostasis in different plants. Furthermore, recent reports identified novel roles of these transporter genes in symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) in legume crops as well as in the blue coloration of petals in flowers. The literature indicates their universal role in Fe transport across different tissues (grains, nodules, flowers) to different biological processes (cellular iron homeostasis, SNF, petal coloration) in different plants. Here, we have systematically reviewed different aspects, such as structure, molecular evolution, expression, and function of VIT/VTL proteins. This will help future studies aimed at functional analysis of VIT/VTL genes in other plant species, vacuolar transportation mechanisms, and iron biofortification at large.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasthi Ram
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, India
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali, India
| | | | - Nishu Gandass
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali, India
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14
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Liu Y, Chen Y, Yang Y, Zhang Q, Fu B, Cai J, Guo W, Shi L, Wu J, Chen Y. A thorough screening based on QTLs controlling zinc and copper accumulation in the grain of different wheat genotypes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:15043-15054. [PMID: 33230790 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-11690-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Excess trace metals may cause damage to human health due to the consumption of food grain grown in contaminated soils. This study was designed to understand the genetic mechanisms of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) accumulation in wheat grain under stressed environments. The differences of Cu/Zn contents in the grain among 246 wheat varieties were analyzed, and the wheat varieties with low or high accumulation of Cu and Zn in the safe range were also screened out. The accumulation of Cu and Zn in grains of "Chushanbao" was lowest, which could be used as a novel germplasm for wheat breeding under heavy metal stress. We found that Cu contents of wheat grain were significantly and positively correlated with Zn. The quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for grain Cu content (GCuC) and grain Zn content (GZnC) were detected by genome-wide association study (GWAS). Twenty-three loci affecting GCuC were identified on chromosomes 1A, 1D, 2A, 2B, 2D, 3A, 3B, 3D, 4A, 4B 4D, 5A, 6D, 7A, and 7B, explaining 2.6-5.8% of the phenotypic variation. Sixteen loci associated with the GZnC on 11 different chromosomes 1B, 2B, 2D, 3A, 3D, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5D, 6B, and 7D were detected, which could explain 2.7~6.6% of phenotypic variance. We also determined five associated loci on chromosomes 2B, 2D, 3A, 4B, and 5A were in pleiotropic regions affecting both GCuC and GZnC. This study would help in better understanding the molecular basis of Cu/Zn accumulation in wheat grain, and the associated markers may be useful for marker-assisted selection (MAS) breeding program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource, National Joint Local Engineering Research Center for Rural Land Resources Use and Consolidation, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, People's Republic of China
| | | | - Yang Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource, National Joint Local Engineering Research Center for Rural Land Resources Use and Consolidation, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiaofeng Zhang
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Agrobiology, The Jiangsu Provincial Infrastructure for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm, Institute of Germplasm Resources and Biotechnology, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, People's Republic of China
| | - Bisheng Fu
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Agrobiology, The Jiangsu Provincial Infrastructure for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm, Institute of Germplasm Resources and Biotechnology, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin Cai
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Agrobiology, The Jiangsu Provincial Infrastructure for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm, Institute of Germplasm Resources and Biotechnology, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Guo
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Agrobiology, The Jiangsu Provincial Infrastructure for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm, Institute of Germplasm Resources and Biotechnology, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, People's Republic of China
| | - Liang Shi
- College of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource, National Joint Local Engineering Research Center for Rural Land Resources Use and Consolidation, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jizhong Wu
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Agrobiology, The Jiangsu Provincial Infrastructure for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm, Institute of Germplasm Resources and Biotechnology, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yahua Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource, National Joint Local Engineering Research Center for Rural Land Resources Use and Consolidation, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, People's Republic of China
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15
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Gupta PK, Balyan HS, Sharma S, Kumar R. Biofortification and bioavailability of Zn, Fe and Se in wheat: present status and future prospects. TAG. THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS. THEORETISCHE UND ANGEWANDTE GENETIK 2021; 134:1-35. [PMID: 33136168 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-020-03709-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Knowledge of genetic variation, genetics, physiology/molecular basis and breeding (including biotechnological approaches) for biofortification and bioavailability for Zn, Fe and Se will help in developing nutritionally improved wheat. Biofortification of wheat cultivars for micronutrients is a priority research area for wheat geneticists and breeders. It is known that during breeding of wheat cultivars for productivity and quality, a loss of grain micronutrient contents occurred, leading to decline in nutritional quality of wheat grain. Keeping this in view, major efforts have been made during the last two decades for achieving biofortification and bioavailability of wheat grain for micronutrients including Zn, Fe and Se. The studies conducted so far included evaluation of gene pools for contents of not only grain micronutrients as above, but also for phytic acid (PA) or phytate and phytase, so that, while breeding for the micronutrients, bioavailability is also improved. For this purpose, QTL interval mapping and GWAS were carried out to identify QTLs/genes and associated markers that were subsequently used for marker-assisted selection (MAS) during breeding for biofortification. Studies have also been conducted to understand the physiology and molecular basis of biofortification, which also allowed identification of genes for uptake, transport and storage of micronutrients. Transgenics using transgenes have also been produced. The breeding efforts led to the development of at least a dozen cultivars with improved contents of grain micronutrients, although land area occupied by these biofortified cultivars is still marginal. In this review, the available information on different aspects of biofortification and bioavailability of micronutrients including Zn, Fe and Se in wheat has been reviewed for the benefit of those, who plan to start work or already conducting research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- P K Gupta
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, U.P, 250004, India.
| | - H S Balyan
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, U.P, 250004, India
| | - Shailendra Sharma
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, U.P, 250004, India
| | - Rahul Kumar
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, U.P, 250004, India
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16
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Sorribes-Dauden R, Peris D, Martínez-Pastor MT, Puig S. Structure and function of the vacuolar Ccc1/VIT1 family of iron transporters and its regulation in fungi. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:3712-3722. [PMID: 33304466 PMCID: PMC7714665 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.10.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron is an essential micronutrient for most living beings since it participates as a redox active cofactor in many biological processes including cellular respiration, lipid biosynthesis, DNA replication and repair, and ribosome biogenesis and recycling. However, when present in excess, iron can participate in Fenton reactions and generate reactive oxygen species that damage cells at the level of proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. Organisms have developed different molecular strategies to protect themselves against the harmful effects of high concentrations of iron. In the case of fungi and plants, detoxification mainly occurs by importing cytosolic iron into the vacuole through the Ccc1/VIT1 iron transporter. New sequenced genomes and bioinformatic tools are facilitating the functional characterization, evolution and ecological relevance of metabolic pathways and homeostatic networks across the Tree of Life. Sequence analysis shows that Ccc1/VIT1 homologs are widely distributed among organisms with the exception of animals. The recent elucidation of the crystal structure of a Ccc1/VIT1 plant ortholog has enabled the identification of both conserved and species-specific motifs required for its metal transport mechanism. Moreover, recent studies in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have also revealed that multiple transcription factors including Yap5 and Msn2/Msn4 contribute to the expression of CCC1 in high-iron conditions. Interestingly, Malaysian S. cerevisiae strains express a partially functional Ccc1 protein that renders them sensitive to iron. Different regulatory mechanisms have been described for non-Saccharomycetaceae Ccc1 homologs. The characterization of Ccc1/VIT1 proteins is of high interest in the development of biofortified crops and the protection against microbial-derived diseases.
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Key Words
- BLOSUM, BLOcks SUbstitution Matrix
- CBC, CCAAT-binding core complex
- CRD, Cysteine-rich domain
- CS, Consistency score
- Ccc1
- Cg, Candida glabrata
- Eg, Eucalyptus grandis
- Fe, Iron
- Fungi
- H, Helix
- Hap, Heme activator protein
- ISC, Iron-sulfur luster
- Iron detoxification
- Iron regulation
- Iron transport
- MAFFT, Multiple Alignment using Fast Fourier Transform
- MBD, Metal-binding domain
- ML, Maximum-likelihood
- NRAMP, Natural Resistance-Associated Macrophage Protein
- Plants
- ROS, Reactive oxygen species
- TMD, Transmembrane domain
- VIT, Vacuolar iron transporter
- VIT1
- VTL, Vacuolar iron transporter-like
- Vacuole
- YRE, Yap response elements
- Yeast
- bZIP, basic leucine-zipper
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Sorribes-Dauden
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | - David Peris
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Sergi Puig
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Paterna, Valencia, Spain
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17
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Ali MW, Borrill P. Applying genomic resources to accelerate wheat biofortification. Heredity (Edinb) 2020; 125:386-395. [PMID: 32528079 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-020-0326-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Wheat has low levels of the micronutrients iron and zinc in the grain, which contributes to 2 billion people suffering from micronutrient deficiency globally. While wheat flour is commonly fortified during processing, an attractive and more sustainable solution is biofortification, which could improve micronutrient content in the human diet, without the sustainability issues and costs associated with conventional fortification. Although many studies have used quantitative trait loci mapping and genome-wide association to identify genetic loci to improve micronutrient contents, recent developments in genomics offer an opportunity to accelerate marker discovery and use gene-focussed approaches to engineer improved micronutrient content in wheat. The recent publication of a high-quality wheat genome sequence, alongside gene expression atlases, variation datasets and sequenced mutant populations, provides a foundation to identify genetic loci and genes controlling micronutrient content in wheat. We discuss how novel genomic resources can identify candidate genes for biofortification, integrating knowledge from other cereal crops, and how these genes can be tested using gene editing, transgenic and TILLING approaches. Finally, we highlight key challenges remaining to develop wheat cultivars with high levels of iron and zinc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Waqas Ali
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Philippa Borrill
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
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18
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Phytic Acid and Mineral Biofortification Strategies: From Plant Science to Breeding and Biotechnological Approaches. PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9050553. [PMID: 32357504 PMCID: PMC7285160 DOI: 10.3390/plants9050553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Mineral deficiencies, particularly for iron and zinc, affect over two billion people worldwide, mainly in developing countries where diets are based on the consumption of staple crops. Mineral biofortification includes different approaches aimed to increase mineral concentration and to improve mineral bioavailability in the edible parts of plants, particularly the seeds. A multidisciplinary approach, including agronomic, genetic, physiological, and molecular expertise, is necessary to obtain detailed knowledge of the complex homeostatic mechanisms that tightly regulate seed mineral concentrations and the molecules and mechanisms that determine mineral bioavailability, necessary to reach the biofortification objectives. To increase bioavailability, one strategy is to decrease seed content of phytic acid, a highly electronegative molecule present in the cell that chelates positively charged metal ions, many of which are important for human nutrition. All the contributions of the current Special Issue aim at describing new results, reviewing the literature, and also commenting on some of the economic and sociological aspects concerning biofortification research. A number of contributions are related to the study of mineral transport, seed accumulation, and approaches to increase seed micronutrient concentration. The remaining ones are mainly focused on the study of low phytic acid mutants.
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