A Perspective article co-authored by Rolf Kümmerli from the Kümmerli Lab at the Department of Quantitative Biomedicine challenges the classical dichotomy of plant iron uptake strategies. Published in Nature Plants, the work synthesizes growing evidence that plant iron acquisition is more diverse and flexible than previously assumed.
The authors review how plants combine elements of the canonical reduction-based Strategy I and phytosiderophore-based Strategy II, and highlight the overlooked role of microbial siderophores in the rhizosphere. They introduce Strategy III, defined as the direct uptake of intact microbial siderophore - iron complexes by plants via transporters or endocytosis.
By positioning microbial communities as key drivers of plant iron nutrition, the study opens new avenues for sustainable agriculture and iron biofortification, with potential benefits for global human health.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-025-02171-x