Regulation of the Phosphat Homoeostasis in Plants

Phosphate (P) limitation is an important and common stress for plants in many parts of the world. Plants have evolved a number of adaptive mechanisms to cope with and to survive in such conditions. Apart from the acquisition of alternative external P sources and more efficient use of internal P, the maintenance of phosphate homeostasis plays an important role in this scenario. Homeostasis thereby involves sensible reallocation of the spare resource taken up by the roots to growing and reproductive organs. The regulatory mechanism required for this purpose has now been elucidated and yields surprising insights.