Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Science

Tiny nutrient, big mystery: Key gene reveals how cereal crops transport nickel

Nickel plays an important physiological role in plants, but how it is transported over long distances from stems and leaves to grains was poorly understood for more than 50 years. Now researchers have identified a key transporter gene, ZmNAET1, that controls nickel accumulation in cereal grains.

Tiny nutrient, big mystery: Key gene reveals how cereal crops transport nickel
Image: Phys.org
Nickel plays an important physiological role in plants, but how it is transported over long distances from stems and leaves to grains was poorly understood for more than 50 years. Now researchers have identified a key transporter gene, ZmNAET1, that controls nickel accumulation in cereal grains.

Originally published at Phys.org

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