Regulating iron uptake to mitigate heat stress in plants

August 28, 2025

Elucidation of iron uptake mechanisms supporting long-term heat stress adaptation in cool-season grasses

A collaborative research group from the RIKEN CSRS, Yokohama City University, Meiji Gakuin University, Aichi Steel Corporation, the University of Tokyo, and the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) has revealed that the regulation of iron uptake from soil plays a crucial role in enhancing the adaptability of cool-season grasses to prolonged high-temperature stress. This research is expected to contribute to improving the heat stress tolerance of cool-season cereals such as wheat and to ensuring stable crop production under progressing climate change.

In this study, the collaborative research group found an association between growth suppression and iron deficiency under prolonged heat stress in wheat. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, they analyzed the genetic diversity of Brachypodium distachyon, a close relative of wheat. As a result, they discovered that a gene encoding a transporter for mugineic acid, which is involved in iron uptake, is a key factor in maintaining plant growth under high-temperature conditions. Furthermore, based on this finding, they demonstrated that applying proline-2'-deoxymugineic acid (PDMA), which is a synthetic analog of mugineic acid, or chelated iron (a form of iron that plants can readily absorb) alleviated iron deficiency and growth suppression in wheat under heat stress. These findings are expected to contribute to the development of crop varieties and cultivation management techniques adapted to global warming.

 

Original article

Nature Communications　doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-63005-0

A. Minami, Y. Onda, M. Shimizu, Y. Uehara-Yamaguchi, A. Kanatani, R. Nakayama, K. Toyama, K. Takahagi, K. Inoue, T. Nozoye, M. Suzuki, Y. Kouzai, T. Nomura, K. Tanoi, M. Endo, R. Miki, Ma. Kashihara, N. Taoka, K. Mochida,

"Chelation-based iron uptake mitigates the effects of prolonged high-temperature stress in cool-season grasses".

Contact

Anzu Minami; Research Scientist
Keiichi Mochida; Team Director
Bioproductivity Informatics Research Team