Phosphate starvation response 1 (PHR1): a versatile master regulator shaping plant resilience beyond phosphate deprivation.
Mangalakkadan A, Roychowdhury A, Chennakesavulu K, Kumar R
Crop Improvement
PubMedThe tomatoes, wheat, and corn in your grocery store could one day be bred to thrive with far less fertilizer — and stay healthy through drought and disease — because scientists are unlocking a single master gene switch that controls how plants handle nutrient stress and much more.
Plants have a kind of 'command center' protein called PHR1 that kicks into gear when they can't find enough phosphorus in the soil. Scientists used to think it only managed that one job, but it turns out PHR1 also controls how seedlings sprout, how plants respond to stress and disease, and even how they partner with helpful soil fungi. Understanding this protein could help farmers grow better crops using less fertilizer, even in tough conditions.
Key Findings
PHR1 regulates hundreds of genes beyond phosphorus starvation, including those involved in seedling establishment, nitrogen-phosphorus balance, and anthocyanin and proline production.
PHR1 interacts directly with jasmonic acid signaling pathways and mycorrhizal symbiosis, linking nutrient sensing to both immune responses and beneficial fungal partnerships.
Multiple PHR1 homologue proteins divide these roles within a single plant species, suggesting a distributed regulatory network rather than a single gene controlling all functions.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A single plant protein called PHR1, long known for helping plants survive low-phosphorus soils, turns out to be a much broader control switch — influencing seedling growth, stress tolerance, hormone signaling, and even symbiosis with soil fungi. This review synthesizes two decades of research and positions PHR1 as a prime target for engineering more resilient crops.
Abstract Preview
In the last two decades, the transcription factor phosphate starvation response 1 (PHR1) and its homologues in Arabidopsis and other plant species have emerged as undisputed master regulators of ph...
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