Phosphite, Biotechnology, Modern agriculture

Phosphite is a reduced form of phosphate, wherein an oxygen replaces a hydrogen atom, and this substitution has a significant effect on its performance in living organisms. Phosphite is readily transfered into plant cells through phosphate transporters. However, plants do not have the ability to use phosphite as a phosphorus resourc such that this property has limited the use of phosphite as fertilizer; however, phosphite has been used as a fungicide and biostimulant in agriculture. Some bacteria are able to oxidize phosphite into phosphate to cover for various cellular functions. In the last decade, the molecular mechanism of this biological oxidation has been elucidated to occure by the enzyme phosphite oxidoreductase or phosphite dehydrogenase. Phosphite is produced in large quantities in various chemical industries as a by-product or waste that is not recycled. The identification of the enzyme phosphite dehydrogenase, that catalyses the oxidation of phosphite to phosphate, has opened a new path for the recycle of this waste. Recently, there have been reports for the production of transgenic plants expressing ptxD gene. In practice, ptxD gene can be used as a marker in the selection of transgenic plants. By producing these transgenic plants, phosphite can be used as a herbicide and even as a phosphorus fertilizer.