New mechanistic insights into phosphate-starvation-regulated plant architecture change and nutrient uptake

Phosphorus (P) is an indispensable macro-nutrient for plant growth that is absorbed by plants in the form of inorganic phosphate (Pi). Pi deficiency is a major challenge limiting crop productivity worldwide. To combat Pi scarcity and maintain Pi homeostasis, plants have evolved different strategies for efficient Pi acquisition ( Paz-Ares et al., 2022 Paz-Ares J. Puga M.I. Rojas-Triana M. Martinez-Hevia I. Diaz S. Poza-Carrión C. Miñambres M. Leyva A. Plant adaptation to low phosphorus availability: Core signaling, crosstalks, and applied implications. Mol. Plant. 2022; 15: 104-124 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Google Scholar ). Plants reduce overall growth and enhance the root system to optimize nutrients foraging in Pi-limited soils. Strigolactones (SLs), renowned for their roles as rhizosphere signals and phytohormones in plant development, play a significant role in integrating nitrate and Pi signals to regulate shoot and root development. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms underlying the integration of SL signaling in Pi starvation regulated shoot or root architecture, and the balance between P and nitrogen (N) uptake remain largely unexplored.