Iron-Requiring Enzymes in the Spotlight of Oxygen

Abstract

Iron (Fe) is a cofactor required for a variety of essential redox reactions in plant metabolism. Thus, plants have developed a complex network of interacting pathways to withstand Fe deficiency, including metabolic reprogramming. This opinion aims at revisiting such reprogramming by focusing on: (i) the functional relationships of Fe-requiring enzymes (FeREs) with respect to oxygen; and (ii) the progression of FeREs engagement, occurring under Fe deficiency stress. In particular, we considered such progression of FeREs engagement as strain responses of increasing severity during the stress phases of alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. This approach can contribute to reconcile the variety of experimental results obtained so far from different plant species and/or different Fe supplies.

Keywords: iron deficiency; iron requiring enzymes FeREs; molybdenum; oxygen; plant metabolism.