Iron homeostasis in plants： when transcription affects translocation

Despite the fact that iron is one of the most abundant elements of the earth＇s crust, iron deficiencies are serious problems both in human nutrition [ 1 ] and in agriculture [2]. Six to eight percent of the world＇s population is potentially affected by iron deficiency induced anemia, a leading cause of maternal death in African and Asian countries where people rely mostly on plants for their daily intake of iron. Iron can also be a limiting factor in the growth of economically important crop plants because of inadequate soil chemistry, and such deficiencies cannot easily be corrected by amending the soil. Improving the plant＇s ability to absorb iron in adverse conditions and to increase their overall content could offer solutions to these dramatic problems. Therefore understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating iron uptake and homeostasis in plants has potentially important practical applications both in agriculture and human health [3].