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Published on March 20, 2009; 10.1104/pp.109.136374

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Received January 30, 2009
Accepted March 16, 2009

The analysis of Arabidopsis nicotianamine synthase mutants reveals functions for nicotianamine in seed iron loading and iron deficiency responses

Marco Klatte , Mara Schuler , Markus Wirtz , Claudia Fink-Straube , Rudiger Hell , and Petra Bauer *

Dept. of Biosciences – Botany, Campus A2.4, Saarland University, D-66123 Saarbrucken, Germany; Dept. of Molecular Biology of Plants, Heidelberg Institute of Plant Sciences, Im Neuenheimer Feld 360, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Leibniz Institute for New Materials GmbH, Campus D2.2, D-66123 Saarbrucken, Germany

* Corresponding author; email: p.bauer{at}mx.uni-saarland.de.

Nicotianamine chelates and transports micronutrient metal ions in plants. It has been speculated that nicotianamine is involved in seed loading with micronutrients. A tomato (chloronerva) and a tobacco mutant have been utilized to analyze the effects of nicotianamine loss. These mutants showed early leaf chlorosis and had sterile flowers.

Arabidopsis thaliana has four NAS genes. We constructed two quadruple nas mutants: One had full loss of NAS function, was sterile and showed a chloronerva-like phenotype (nas4x-2). Another mutant with intermediate phenotype (nas4x-1) developed chlorotic leaves, which became severe upon transition from the vegetative to reproductive phase and upon Fe deficiency. Residual nicotianamine levels were sufficient to sustain the life cycle. Therefore, the nas4x-1 mutant enabled us to study late nicotianamine functions. This mutant had no detectable nicotianamine in rosette leaves of the reproductive stage but low nicotianamine levels in vegetative rosette leaves and seeds. Fe accumulated in the rosette leaves while less Fe was present in flowers and seeds. Leaves, roots and flowers showed symptoms of Fe deficiency, whereas leaves also showed signs of sufficient Fe supply as revealed by molecular-physiological analysis. The mutant was not able to fully mobilize Fe to sustain Fe supply of flowers and seeds in the normal way. Thus, nicotianamine is needed for correct supply of seeds with Fe. These results are fundamental for plant manipulation approaches to modify iron homeostasis regulation through alterations of NAS genes.






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