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Integrating microbial siderophores into concepts of plant iron nutrition

Nature Plants volume 12, pages 26–36 (2026)Cite this article

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Abstract

Iron is a crucial micronutrient for plants, but its availability in soil is often limited. Iron deficiency compromises plant growth, and low iron content in crops contributes substantially to the ‘hidden hunger’ that affects human health globally. The elucidation of Strategy I (reduction-based) and Strategy II (phytosiderophore-based) for iron acquisition was a milestone in plant biology and enabled the development of biofortification concepts. However, recent genetic evidence reveals that the boundary between the two strategies is blurred, with many plants possessing elements of both. Here we show that plant iron uptake mechanisms are more complex and diverse than the classical dichotomy suggests. We review evidence for this integrative view and highlight the critical role of microbial siderophores. We explain how plants access iron from microbial siderophores not only indirectly through Strategy I and II pathways but also via the direct uptake of iron–siderophore complexes, an overlooked mechanism that we introduce as Strategy III. We propose three potential routes for this direct uptake and conclude that harnessing Strategy III holds great potential for novel agricultural interventions to enhance iron biofortification and improve human health.

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Fig. 1: Milestones in the discovery of molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying plant iron absorption.
Fig. 2: Strategy I and II iron uptake mechanisms in plants and their partial co-occurrence in select species.
Fig. 3: Phylogenetic distribution and functional traits of plant iron-promoting microorganisms.
Fig. 4: Proposed mechanisms of how plants can use microbial siderophores for iron acquisition, including the emerging Strategy III.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos 42325704, 32372810, 42577142 and 32573128), the Disciplinary Breakthrough Project of Ministry of Education (MOE, #00975101), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (grant nos 2022YFD1901500/2022YFD1901501 and 2023YFD1700203), the Tianchi Talent Introduction Program of Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China (2023—‘2+5’), the Tingzhou Talent Introduction Program of Changji Autonomous Region, China (2023) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant no. 310030_212266) for funding. We thank S. J. Zheng from Zhejiang University and J. F. Ma from Okayama University for valuable discussions and suggestions.

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  1. These authors contributed equally: Shaohua Gu, Nanqi Wang.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China

    Shaohua Gu, Tianqi Wang, Fusuo Zhang & Yuanmei Zuo

  2. National Citrus Engineering Research Center, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Citrus, Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China

    Nanqi Wang

  3. Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, Key Lab of Organic-Based Fertilizers of China, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China

    Yiran Zheng, Qirong Shen & Zhong Wei

  4. Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Rolf Kümmerli

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  1. Shaohua Gu
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Contributions

Y.Z. and Z.W. developed the concept. S.G., N.W., T.W. and Y.Z. performed the literature search and prepared the figures. F.Z. and Q.S. provided some intellectual input for this manuscript. S.G., N.W., R.K., Y.Z. and Z.W. wrote the manuscript with contributions and input from all authors.

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Correspondence to Zhong Wei or Yuanmei Zuo.

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Gu, S., Wang, N., Zheng, Y. et al. Integrating microbial siderophores into concepts of plant iron nutrition. Nat. Plants 12, 26–36 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-025-02171-x

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