The isolation and characterization of the iron-phytosiderophore transporter in Avena sativa

Iron is a vital nutrient required for processes such as photosynthesis and respiration in plants. Unfortunately, the mineral is found as an insoluble form in the rhizosphere. Plants have evolved two different mechanisms for acquiring iron, a reduction based strategy and a chelation based strategy. The chelation based strategy is restricted to grass species as they are the only plants found to put out phytosiderophores. Until recently, the mechanisms for the uptake of the phytosiderophore complexed to its ligand has been unknown. The discovery of the membrane transporter gene used by the phytosiderophore in maiz.e in 2001 has shed some light on the mechanisms. A second transporter gene was discovered in 2006 in barley that moves iron­phytosiderophore complexes into the root. This thesis presents the data for the sequence of a putative iron-phytosiderophore transporter gene in oats that was compared to the sequences of known phytosiderophore transporters, HvYS 1 from barley and Zm YS 1 from maize.