Abstract
Iron homeostasis is essential for plant growth and development. Here, we report that a mutation in GENERAL CONTROL NONREPRESSED PROTEIN5 (GCN5) impaired iron translocation from the root to the shoot in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Illumina high-throughput sequencing revealed 879 GCN5-regulated candidate genes potentially involved in iron homeostasis. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays indicated that five genes (At3G08040, At2G01530, At2G39380, At2G47160, and At4G05200) are direct targets of GCN5 in iron homeostasis regulation. Notably, GCN5-mediated acetylation of histone 3 lysine 9 and histone 3 lysine 14 of FERRIC REDUCTASE DEFECTIVE3 (FRD3) determined the dynamic expression of FRD3. Consistent with the function of FRD3 as a citrate efflux protein, the iron retention defect in gcn5 was rescued and fertility was partly restored by overexpressing FRD3. Moreover, iron retention in gcn5 roots was significantly reduced by the exogenous application of citrate. Collectively, these data suggest that GCN5 plays a critical role in FRD3-mediated iron homeostasis. Our results provide novel insight into the chromatin-based regulation of iron homeostasis in Arabidopsis.