Genetic Control of Seed Phytate Accumulation and the Development of Low-Phytate Crops: A Review and Perspective.

Breeding () crops is a strategy that has potential to both improve the nutritional quality of food and feed and contribute to the sustainability of agriculture. Here, we review the lipid-independent and -dependent pathways of phytate synthesis and their regulatory mechanisms in plants. We compare the genetic variation of the phytate concentration and distribution in seeds between dicot and monocot species as well as the associated temporal and spatial expression patterns of the genes involved in phytate synthesis and transport. Quantitative trait loci or significant single nucleotide polymorphisms for the seed phytate concentration have been identified in different plant species by linkage and association mapping, and some genes have been cloned from mutants. We summarize the effects of various mutations on important agronomic traits in crop plants and propose and as optimal target genes for crop breeding.