Genetic Manipulation of a "Vacuolar" H+-PPase: From Salt Tolerance to Yield Enhancement under Phosphorus-Deficient Soils

Plant scientists face the difficult challenge of increasing food production without further degradation of the environment. In order to protect drinking water resources and prevent the proliferation of harmful algal blooms and "dead zones" in coastal marine ecosystems, it is imperative to reduce anthropogenic nutrient inputs (Conley et al., 2009). These challenges are further compounded by the goal of utilizing agriculture to provide replacement fuels such as biodiesel and alcohol for our oil-based economy. Phosphate (Pi) is an essential macronutrient required for plant growth and development (Chen et al., 2008). Plant nutrient acquisition and partitioning depend on the H+ gradients generated by the plasma membrane H+-ATPases (Palmgren, 2001; Fuglsang et al., 2011). In this update, we discuss the potential role that the type I H+-proton-pyrophosphatase (PPase) could play in optimizing Pi use efficiency in plants.