Roles of ferritin in plants

The iron-storage protein ferritin, which is localized in the plastics in plants, plays roles during development and under stress conditions, due to its ability to buffer iron (Fe) fluxes, keeping this element temporary in a safe and bioavailable form. Ferritin Fe of leaves or nodules may serve as a preliminary pool for the building up of Fe containing proteins. Ferritin could also play a general role in stress response in plants. Concerning stress, it is more specifically involved in the buffering of Fe in the chloroplast during recovery of Fe deficiency and as an important component to protect plastics against Fe-mediated oxidative stress. It is still an open question whether plant ferritin can serve as a long distance Fe shuttle between sources and sink organs, or whether its function is limited to the metabolism of plastics.