Abstract
Phosphate is essential for plant growth, but its availability in soil is often limiting. The plants growing under limiting phosphate supply modify their root architecture and physiological processes in order to acquire sufficient phosphate. We have examined whether altered iron availability could influence the root architecture and nutrient uptake in Arabidopsis under low phosphate condition. Low phosphate availability induced a change in root architecture that was characterized by a shorter primary root and a greater number of lateral roots. These changes intensified when iron availability was reduced below normal level. Aithough root architecture was changed, phosphate uptake rates were not affected by the change in iron availability. The expression pattern of two phosphate transporters namely, Pht1;1 and Pht1;4, were differentially altered by iron availability. The results indicate the possibility of iron-phosphorus interaction in the regulation of root architecture and nutrient uptake.
