Molecular Aspect of Al Tolerance in Crop Plants: Novel Al-Activated Malate Transporter Gene in Wheat Roots

Aluminum (Al) is a major element in the soil; 30–40% of arable land is acidic. Solubilized Al ion in acid soils inhibits root elongation. Intensive research on the Al tolerance mechanism has been conducted in the past few decades. Mechanism of Al tolerance can be classified into Al exclusion mechanism and intracellular tolerance mechanism. Efflux of organic acids from roots upon receiving the Al signal is the major Al exclusion mechanism. Efflux of organic acids through the channel in the plasma membrane was confirmed, and the gene specifically encoding malate transporter in Al-tolerant wheat was discovered recently. The regulatory mechanism in the efflux of organic acids upon protein phosphorylation may be operative. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and their scavenging system are thought to be important in the intracellular tolerance mechanism.