Iron transport and storage in plants

Changes between iron redox states (ferrous or ferric) drive numerous reactions involving electron transfer that are important for plants. However, there is great variation in the availability of iron in the soil, and starvation or excess can cause severe nutritional disorders, which significantly affect the physiology of the plant. In response, signals are produced that modulate the expression of genes involved in either the transport or storage of iron. Recent progress has been made in delineating the cellular and molecular aspects of these processes, highlighting new mechanisms in plant adaptative responses.