Mineral-element transport into and distribution in seeds

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Walter J. Horst
• Subject Area: Plant Cultivation, Plant Nutrition, Agricultural Technology
• Term: from 2008 to 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 85419312

Increasing the micronutrient density in staple food crops is regarded as a most effective way of overcoming malnutrition, particularly in the developing world. However, the major limitation to biofortification strategies is a poor understanding of relevant physiological and molecular processes controlling micronutrient transport in plants, loading into and distribution within grains. This requires analytical tools capable of micro-localising mineral elements in seeds. Among the few possible analytical approaches to the task, Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) has not been applied so far. It is hypothesised that LA-ICP-MS provides a valuable tool to enhance our knowledge not only on genotypic differences in metal distribution in seeds but also on metal transport into and in the seeds using stable isotopes. The two specific hypotheses to be experimentally addressed are: (i) using the proper timing of the supply, binding form, and association with N and S compounds, the concentration and particularly the distribution of the micronutrient metals in the seeds can be altered to achieve a high concentration in the endosperm. (ii) Beneficial and unfavourable heavy metals are normally co-localized in seeds, but a better knowledge of the spatial distribution within the seeds will allow designing strategies for untying this relationship so that targeted metals can be concentrated individually.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants