Metal Tolerance Protein 8 mediates Mn and Fe homeostasis in seeds

Plants and seeds are the main dietary source of essential micronutrients in the food chain. The processes regulating transport of micronutrients to and within seeds are critical for germination and enrichment of seeds. Metal transport protein 8 (MTP8) has been characterized as a tonoplast Mn transporter in Arabidopsis roots preventing plants from Mn toxicity. In this paper the authors further characterize the role of MTP8 in Arabidopsis. Using yeast as a heterologous expression system, Eroglu et al. demonstrated that MTP8 restores the growth of yeast mutant defective in vacuolar Fe transport. They further report that the MTP8 is also responsible for a characteristic enrichment of Mn in cortical cells of the hypocotyl and in subepidermal cells of cotyledons, as well as for Mn homeostasis during imbibition and germination under changing water conditions. (Summary by Mather Khan) Plant Physiol. 10.​1104/​pp.​16.​01646