Research Advances in the Mutual Mechanisms Regulating Response of Plant Roots to Phosphate Deficiency and Aluminum Toxicity

Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Jan 20;23(3):1137. doi: 10.3390/ijms23031137.

Abstract

Low phosphate (Pi) availability and high aluminum (Al) toxicity constitute two major plant mineral nutritional stressors that limit plant productivity on acidic soils. Advances toward the identification of genes and signaling networks that are involved in both stresses in model plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana and rice (Oryza sativa), and in other plants as well have revealed that some factors such as organic acids (OAs), cell wall properties, phytohormones, and iron (Fe) homeostasis are interconnected with each other. Moreover, OAs are involved in recruiting of many plant-growth-promoting bacteria that are able to secrete both OAs and phosphatases to increase Pi availability and decrease Al toxicity. In this review paper, we summarize these mutual mechanisms by which plants deal with both Al toxicity and P starvation, with emphasis on OA secretion regulation, plant-growth-promoting bacteria, transcription factors, transporters, hormones, and cell wall-related kinases in the context of root development and root system architecture remodeling that plays a determinant role in improving P use efficiency and Al resistance on acidic soils.

Keywords: acidic soil; aluminum toxicity; organic acids; phosphate deficiency; signal crosstalk; stress response.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / growth & development*
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism
  • Arabidopsis / microbiology
  • Bacteria / growth & development*
  • Bacteria / metabolism
  • Cell Wall / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Iron / metabolism
  • Oryza / growth & development*
  • Oryza / metabolism
  • Oryza / microbiology
  • Phosphates / deficiency*
  • Plant Growth Regulators / metabolism
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism
  • Plant Roots / growth & development
  • Plant Roots / metabolism
  • Plant Roots / microbiology

Substances

  • Phosphates
  • Plant Growth Regulators
  • Plant Proteins
  • Iron