Advances in the Mechanisms of Plant Tolerance to Manganese Toxicity

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 20; no. 20; p. 5096
• Main Authors: Li, Jifu, Jia, Yidan, Dong, Rongshu, Huang, Rui, Liu, Pandao, Li, Xinyong, Wang, Zhiyong, Liu, Guodao, Chen, Zhijian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 14.10.2019; MDPI
• Subjects: Acidic soils; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - metabolism; Barley; Biological Transport - drug effects; Biosynthesis; Cell Wall - drug effects; Cell Wall - genetics; Cell walls; Cultivars; Detoxification; Endoplasmic reticulum; Enzymatic activity; Enzyme activity; Enzymes; Flowers & plants; gene function; Gene regulation; Genes; Golgi cells; Heavy metals; Homeostasis; Homeostasis - drug effects; Manganese; Manganese - toxicity; Metals, Heavy - toxicity; mn detoxification; Oxidative stress; Photosynthesis; Photosynthesis - drug effects; Physiology; Phytotoxicity; Plant breeding; Plants - drug effects; Plants - genetics; Proteins; Review; subcellular compartment; tolerance mechanism; Toxicity; Vacuoles; subcellular compartment; Mn detoxification; gene function; manganese toxicity; tolerance mechanism
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms20205096

Manganese (Mn) is an essential element for plant growth due to its participation in a series of physiological and metabolic processes. Mn is also considered a heavy metal that causes phytotoxicity when present in excess, disrupting photosynthesis and enzyme activity in plants. Thus, Mn toxicity is a major constraint limiting plant growth and production, especially in acid soils. To cope with Mn toxicity, plants have evolved a wide range of adaptive strategies to improve their growth under this stress. Mn tolerance mechanisms include activation of the antioxidant system, regulation of Mn uptake and homeostasis, and compartmentalization of Mn into subcellular compartments (e.g., vacuoles, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and cell walls). In this regard, numerous genes are involved in specific pathways controlling Mn detoxification. Here, we summarize the recent advances in the mechanisms of Mn toxicity tolerance in plants and highlight the roles of genes responsible for Mn uptake, translocation, and distribution, contributing to Mn detoxification. We hope this review will provide a comprehensive understanding of the adaptive strategies of plants to Mn toxicity through gene regulation, which will aid in breeding crop varieties with Mn tolerance via genetic improvement approaches, enhancing the yield and quality of crops.