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Iron toxicity is a root related abiotic stress, occurring frequently in flooded soils. It can affect the yield of rice in lowland production systems. This toxicity is associated with high concentrations of reduced iron (Fe²⁺) in the soil solution. Although the first interface of the element is in the roots, the consequences of an excessive uptake can be observed in several rice tissues. In an original attempt to find both genes and transposable elements involved in the response to an iron toxicity stress, we used a microarray approach to study the transcriptional responses of rice leaves of cv. Nipponbare (Oryza sativa L. ssp. japonica) to iron excess in nutrient solution.

A large number of genes were significantly up- or down-regulated in leaves under the treatment. We analyzed the gene ontology and metabolic pathways of genes involved in the …