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Plant ionomics: a newer approach to study mineral transport and its regulation

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Abstract

Up to two-thirds of the world population is at risk of deficiency in one or more essential mineral elements. In order to overcome deficiency disorders of mineral nutrients, biofortification approach in crops is an absolute requirement to eliminate the hidden hunger. Hence, the aim of crop biofortification is shifting from food security to nutritional security. In this context, ionomics becomes essential to identify potential gene(s) responsible for the uptake, transport, and storage of ions in plants. It involves the measurement of elemental composition of an organism and change in their composition in relation to physiological, developmental, environmental, and genetic factors. It renders the functional analysis of genes and gene networks that directly or indirectly affect the whole ionome. The present review deals with the study of ionome with special reference to different types of ionic interactions, quantifications, and gene identification.

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Acknowledgments

The work is published under the research programme is funded by Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India in the form of Programme Support for research and development in Agricultural Biotechnology at G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, India (Grant No. BT/PR7849/AGR/02/2006).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, 263145, Uttarakhand, India

    Uma M. Singh & Anil Kumar

  2. Division of Crop Protection, Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture, Lucknow, 227107, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Purnima Sareen

  3. Department of Agriculture Biotechnology, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut, 250110, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Rakesh S. Sengar

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  1. Uma M. Singh
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  2. Purnima Sareen
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Correspondence to Anil Kumar.

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Communicated by A. K. Kononowicz.

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Singh, U.M., Sareen, P., Sengar, R.S. et al. Plant ionomics: a newer approach to study mineral transport and its regulation. Acta Physiol Plant 35, 2641–2653 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-013-1316-8

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