The role of transition metal homeostasis in plant seed development.

For human health, transition metal accumulation in edible seeds like cereal grains is of worldwide importance, since Fe and Zn deficiencies are among the most prevalent human nutritional disorders in the world. There have been many recent developments in our understanding of the patterns in which transition metals accumulate in the seeds, the identity of some specific transporters that are required for efficient seed metal accumulation, and the central role played by the ubiquitous plant metal chelator nicotianamine (NA). These and other recent discoveries will be reviewed here.