Strigolactones modulate iron uptake in plants.

Strigolactone biosynthesis via ZmCCD8 in maize is linked to maintaining basal iron-regulated gene expression, with rac-GR24 restoring IRO2 and alleviating chlorosis in ivy/ccd8 mutants.

• Why it matters: The connection between strigolactone signaling and plant iron homeostasis was unclear, despite SL hormones regulating many developmental and physiological processes.
• What they did: The study identified ZmCCD8 as the gene for the iron-deficient maize mutant interveinal yellow (ivy), measured iron-regulated gene expression, and tested rac-GR24 application; it also compared Arabidopsis and rice SL mutants under moderate iron.
• The result: ivy/ccd8 mutants show reduced expression of iron-regulated genes under sufficient iron, while ccd8 mutants still upregulate iron uptake genes under iron deficiency; SL mutants in Arabidopsis and rice exhibit similar chlorosis, implying a conserved SL role in iron regulation.

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