Changing paradigms for the micronutrient zinc, a known protein cofactor, as a signal relaying also cellular redox state

The micronutrient zinc (Zn) is often poorly available but toxic when present in excess, so a tightly controlled Zn homoeostasis network operates in all organisms. This review summarizes our present understanding of plant Zn homoeostasis. In Arabidopsis, about 1,900 Zn-binding metalloproteins require...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Ute Krämer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2025-01-01
Series:Quantitative Plant Biology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2632882825000049/type/journal_article
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850171207257686016
author Ute Krämer
author_facet Ute Krämer
author_sort Ute Krämer
collection DOAJ
description The micronutrient zinc (Zn) is often poorly available but toxic when present in excess, so a tightly controlled Zn homoeostasis network operates in all organisms. This review summarizes our present understanding of plant Zn homoeostasis. In Arabidopsis, about 1,900 Zn-binding metalloproteins require Zn as a cofactor. Abundant Zn metalloproteins reside in plastids, mitochondria and peroxisomes, emphasizing the need to address how Zn reaches these proteins. Apo–Zn metalloproteins do not acquire Zn2+ from a cytosolic pool of free cations, but instead through associative ligand exchange from Zn-buffering molecules. The importance of cytosolic thiols in Zn buffering suggests that, besides elevated Zn influx, a more oxidized redox state is also predicted to cause elevated labile-bound Zn levels, consistent with the suppression of a Zn deficiency marker under oxidative stress. Therefore, we consider a broadened physiological scope in plants for a possible signalling role of Zn2+, experimentally supported only in animals to date.
format Article
id doaj-art-2ead83da5fd44eb8906bb1e813635c7a
institution OA Journals
issn 2632-8828
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Cambridge University Press
record_format Article
series Quantitative Plant Biology
spelling doaj-art-2ead83da5fd44eb8906bb1e813635c7a2025-08-20T02:20:19ZengCambridge University PressQuantitative Plant Biology2632-88282025-01-01610.1017/qpb.2025.4Changing paradigms for the micronutrient zinc, a known protein cofactor, as a signal relaying also cellular redox stateUte Krämer0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7870-4508Molecular Genetics and Physiology of Plants, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, GermanyThe micronutrient zinc (Zn) is often poorly available but toxic when present in excess, so a tightly controlled Zn homoeostasis network operates in all organisms. This review summarizes our present understanding of plant Zn homoeostasis. In Arabidopsis, about 1,900 Zn-binding metalloproteins require Zn as a cofactor. Abundant Zn metalloproteins reside in plastids, mitochondria and peroxisomes, emphasizing the need to address how Zn reaches these proteins. Apo–Zn metalloproteins do not acquire Zn2+ from a cytosolic pool of free cations, but instead through associative ligand exchange from Zn-buffering molecules. The importance of cytosolic thiols in Zn buffering suggests that, besides elevated Zn influx, a more oxidized redox state is also predicted to cause elevated labile-bound Zn levels, consistent with the suppression of a Zn deficiency marker under oxidative stress. Therefore, we consider a broadened physiological scope in plants for a possible signalling role of Zn2+, experimentally supported only in animals to date.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2632882825000049/type/journal_articleplant nutritionmetalloproteinmetal homeostasiszinc sensorzinc transporter
spellingShingle Ute Krämer
Changing paradigms for the micronutrient zinc, a known protein cofactor, as a signal relaying also cellular redox state
Quantitative Plant Biology
plant nutrition
metalloprotein
metal homeostasis
zinc sensor
zinc transporter
title Changing paradigms for the micronutrient zinc, a known protein cofactor, as a signal relaying also cellular redox state
title_full Changing paradigms for the micronutrient zinc, a known protein cofactor, as a signal relaying also cellular redox state
title_fullStr Changing paradigms for the micronutrient zinc, a known protein cofactor, as a signal relaying also cellular redox state
title_full_unstemmed Changing paradigms for the micronutrient zinc, a known protein cofactor, as a signal relaying also cellular redox state
title_short Changing paradigms for the micronutrient zinc, a known protein cofactor, as a signal relaying also cellular redox state
title_sort changing paradigms for the micronutrient zinc a known protein cofactor as a signal relaying also cellular redox state
topic plant nutrition
metalloprotein
metal homeostasis
zinc sensor
zinc transporter
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2632882825000049/type/journal_article
work_keys_str_mv AT utekramer changingparadigmsforthemicronutrientzincaknownproteincofactorasasignalrelayingalsocellularredoxstate