Functional characterization of a high‐affinity iron transporter ( PiFTR ) from the endophytic fungus Piriformospora indica and its role in plant growth and development

Abstract

Summary Iron (Fe) is a micronutrient required for plant growth and development; however, most Fe forms in soil are not readily available to plants, resulting in low Fe contents in plants and, thereby, causing Fe deficiency in humans. Biofortification through plant‐fungal co‐cultivation might be a sustainable approach to increase crop Fe contents. Therefore, we aimed to examine the role of a Piriformospora indica Fe transporter on rice Fe uptake under low Fe conditions. A high‐affinity Fe transporter ( PiFTR ) from P . indica was identified and functionally characterized. PiFTR fulfilled all criteria expected of a functional Fe transporter under Fe‐limited conditions. Additionally, PiFTR expression was induced when P . indica was grown under low Fe conditions, and PiFTR complemented a yeast mutant lacking Fe transport. A knockdown (KD) P . indica strain was created via RNA interference to understand the physiological role of PiFTR . We observed that the KD‐ PiFTR ‐ P . indica strain transported a significantly lower amount of Fe to colonized rice ( Oryza sativa ) than the wild type (WT) P . indica . WT P . indica ‐colonized rice plants were healthier and performed significantly better than KD‐ PiFTR ‐ P . indica‐colonized rice plants. Our study offers potential avenues for an agronomically sound amelioration of plant growth in low Fe environments.

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