LPCAT1 controls phosphate homeostasis in a zinc-dependent manner (eLIFE)

Phosphate availability is one of the main limiting factors for plant growth. Similarly, zinc deficiency represents a threat for agriculture and children nutrition and there is a complex interaction between phosphate and zinc nutrition. Kisko et al. investigate the interaction of phosphate and zinc nutrition by using a panel of 223 Arabidopsis accessions and quantifying shoot phosphate concentration. Through GWAS, they identify a LysoPhosphatidylCholine AcylTransferase (LPCAT1) that regulated shoot phosphate level under zinc deficiency, the level of the phosphate transporter PHT1;1 and the balance among phospholipids. Within the promoter of the gene, they show a new binding site for a key transcription factor involved in zinc starvation signaling, bZIP23, and a different binding affinity among accessions showing different shoot phosphate concentrations. (Summary by Marco Giovannetti)  eLife: 10.7554/eLife.32077.001