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Review
. 2023 May 11;12(10):1958.
doi: 10.3390/plants12101958.

Iron in the Symbiosis of Plants and Microorganisms

Yi Liu  1 , Zimo Xiong  1 , Weifeng Wu  1 , Hong-Qing Ling  2   3 , Danyu Kong  1
Affiliations
Review

Iron in the Symbiosis of Plants and Microorganisms

Yi Liu et al. Plants (Basel). .

Abstract

Iron is an essential element for most organisms. Both plants and microorganisms have developed different mechanisms for iron uptake, transport and storage. In the symbiosis systems, such as rhizobia-legume symbiosis and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis, maintaining iron homeostasis to meet the requirements for the interaction between the host plants and the symbiotic microbes is a new challenge. This intriguing topic has drawn the attention of many botanists and microbiologists, and many discoveries have been achieved so far. In this review, we discuss the current progress on iron uptake and transport in the nodules and iron homeostasis in rhizobia-legume symbiosis. The discoveries with regard to iron uptake in AM fungi, iron uptake regulation in AM plants and interactions between iron and other nutrient elements during AM symbiosis are also summarized. At the end of this review, we propose prospects for future studies in this fascinating research area.

Keywords: iron; iron homeostasis; iron uptake; mycorrhiza; plant symbiosis; rhizobium.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Iron transport from root to nodule. (A) Iron transporters in determinate nodule. (B) Iron transporters in indeterminate nodule. MtMATE67 is located in zone I and partially in zone II, which next to zone I; MtNRAMP1 is located in root vasculature, cortex, and zone I, II, and III; MtYSL3 is located in both root vasculature and nodule vasculature.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Iron uptake for symbiosome and bacteroid. VTLs and GmFPN2 transport ferrous iron from infected cell cytoplasm into symbiosome, MATEs transport citrate from infected cell into symbiosome, YSLs contribute the transportation of ferric iron from infected cell into symbiosome, FeoAB system transports ferrous iron from symbiosome into bacteroid, GmDMT1 transports ferrous iron from symbiosome to infected cell.
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