IRT1 — Oryza sativa Japonica

Summary

Rice IRT1 (Os03g0667500, also known as IRT2, OsZIP3, OsZIP5, OsZIP7, OsZIP10, ZIP3, ZIP5, ZIP7, ZIP10, OsIRT1, OsIRT2) encodes a member of the ZIP family of metal transporters, possessing copper, zinc, manganese, iron, and cadmium ion transmembrane transporter activity, along with phosphoinositide, ubiquitin, and mRNA binding. In rice, IRT1 is associated with iron uptake, cadmium transport, root and grain traits, mitochondrial function, and ethylene response. It is linked to seedling height, iron and zinc content, grain filling, harvest index, grain weight and size, protein and amylose content, root length, plant height, grain yield, and salt tolerance. The gene is also associated with iron and metal homeostasis, cadmium detoxification and accumulation, zinc deficiency tolerance, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic efficiency, disease resistance, and chloroplast and root development. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to iron acquisition, cadmium uptake, and metal accumulation.