Point mutation in sensor triples zinc levels in Sorghum bicolor

2025 · doi:10.64898/2025.12.11.693441
preprint OA: closed
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The study investigates how a previously identified zinc sensor motif (ZSM) in Arabidopsis F-bZIP transcription factors (bZIP19 and bZIP23) affects zinc accumulation in the cereal crop sorghum. Using a large-scale sorghum mutant library, the authors identify variants carrying a point mutation in the sorghum bZIP19/23 homolog’s ZSM, and find that a cysteine substitution leads to a three-fold increase in zinc levels in seeds without any visible developmental penalty. The work’s key limitation is that it focuses on seed zinc and visible developmental phenotypes rather than broader physiological or mechanistic endpoints beyond the ZSM point mutation. This paper does not explicitly discuss endometriosis or adenomyosis; it was included in the corpus via a keyword match in the upstream search index.

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Abstract

ABSTRACT Zinc (Zn) deficiency is widespread in agricultural soils and it is also a common nutritional problem in humans. We previously discovered a Zn Sensor Motif (ZSM) in the Arabidopsis F-bZIP transcription factors, bZIP19 and bZIP23, which impacts the concentration of Zn in Arabidopsis plants. Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor (L . ) Moench ) is one of the most important cereals crops worldwide and here, using a large-scale sorghum mutant library, we report the identification of variants with a ZSM point mutation. We show that a cysteine substitution in the ZSM of the sorghum bZIP19/23 homolog causes a three-fold increase in Zn levels in sorghum seeds with no visible developmental penalty. Our work provides the first evidence that modulating the F-bZIP ZSM is a promising strategy for Zn biofortification in crops. This discovery paves the way to generate Zn biofortified crops and alleviate the global problems of Zn deficient soils and Zn malnutrition.
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ABSTRACT Zinc (Zn) deficiency is widespread in agricultural soils and it is also a common nutritional problem in humans. We previously discovered a Zn Sensor Motif (ZSM) in the Arabidopsis F-bZIP transcription factors, bZIP19 and bZIP23, which impacts the concentration of Zn in Arabidopsis plants. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is one of the most important cereals crops worldwide and here, using a large-scale sorghum mutant library, we report the identification of variants with a ZSM point mutation. We show that a cysteine substitution in the ZSM of the sorghum bZIP19/23 homolog causes a three-fold increase in Zn levels in sorghum seeds with no visible developmental penalty. Our work provides the first evidence that modulating the F-bZIP ZSM is a promising strategy for Zn biofortification in crops. This discovery paves the way to generate Zn biofortified crops and alleviate the global problems of Zn deficient soils and Zn malnutrition. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.

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