Zinc plays many essential roles in life. As a strong Lewis acid that lacks redox activity under
environmental and cellular conditions, the Zn 2+ cation is central in determining protein …

The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor family is one of the largest transcription
factor gene families in Arabidopsis thaliana, and contains a bHLH motif that is highly …

Plant growth performance under a stressful environment, notably in the agriculture field, is
directly correlated with the rapid growth of the human population, which triggers the …

Plants benefit from associations with a diverse community of root-colonizing microbes.
Deciphering the mechanisms underpinning these beneficial services are of interest for …

Plant roots nurture a tremendous diversity of microbes via exudation of photosynthetically
fixed carbon sources. In turn, probiotic members of the root microbiome promote plant …

Coumarins are a family of plant-derived secondary metabolites that are produced via the
phenylpropanoid pathway. In the past decade, coumarins have emerged as iron-mobilizing …

Nutrients are essential for optimal growth and development of plants. Nutrient availability
and composition in the soil varies largely from region to region. The deficiency of essential …

Micronutrients like copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), and Zinc (Zn) are essential for
plants, and their functions are tightly linked for vital metabolism. The normal concentration …

Many trace metals are essential micronutrients, but also potent toxins. Due to natural and
anthropogenic causes, vastly different trace metal concentrations occur in various habitats …

Competition for iron is an important factor for microbial niche establishment in the
rhizosphere. Pathogenic and beneficial symbiotic bacteria use various secretion systems to …