Abstract
Effects of rhizosphere microorganisms on Fe uptake by oat (Avena sativa) and maize (Zea mays) were studied in short-term (10 h) nutrient solution experiments. Fe was supplied either as microbial siderophores (pseudobactin [PSB] or ferrioxamine B [FOB]) or as phytosiderophores obtained as root exudates from barley (epi-3-hydroxy-mugineic acid [HMA]) under varied population densities of rhizosphere microorganisms (axenic, uninoculated, or inoculated with different microorganism cultures). When maize was grown under axenic conditions and supplied with FeHMA, Fe uptake rates were 100 to 300 times higher compared to those in plants supplied with Fe siderophores. Fe from both sources was taken up without the involvement of an extracellular reduction process. The supply of FeHMA enhanced both uptake rate and translocation rate to the shoot (more than 60% of the total uptake). However, increased density of microorganisms resulted in a decrease in Fe uptake rate (up to 65%), presumably due to microbial degradation of the FeHMA. In contrast, when FeFOB or FePSB was used as the Fe source, increased population density of microorganisms enhanced Fe uptake. The enhancement of Fe uptake resulted from the uptake of FeFOB and FePSB by microorganisms adhering to the rhizoplane or living in the free space of cortical cells. The microbial apoplastic Fe pool was not available for root to shoot transport or, thus, for utilization by the plants. These results, in addition to the low uptake rate under axenic conditions, are in contrast to earlier hypotheses suggesting the existence of a specific uptake system for Fe siderophores in higher plants. The bacterial siderophores PSB and FOB were inefficient as Fe sources for plants even when supplied by stem injection. It was concluded that microorganisms are involved in degradation processes of microbial siderophores, as well as in competition for Fe with higher plants.