Significant increase in root exudation of 2′-deoxymugineic acid (DMA) as a response to zinc deficiency in rice

1 Summary Zinc (Zn) deficiency limits rice productivity and poses a risk to human health, particularly in populations reliant on rice-based diets. Although rice germplasm exhibits wide variation in Zn-deficiency tolerance, the underlying physiological mechanisms remain poorly resolved. Evidence across the literature for Zn-deficiency–induced secretion of 2′-deoxymugineic acid (DMA) is inconsistent. This study clarifies the role of DMA secretion as a Zn-deficiency stress response. We developed and validated a sensitive LC–ESI–Q–TOF–MS method for selective detection of DMA in rice root exudates. Five rice genotypes with contrasting Zn-deficiency tolerance were grown hydroponically and DMA secretion measured. Zn-deficiency increased DMA exudation across all genotypes, with sensitive genotypes also showing higher secretion compared with control, supporting DMA’s role as a general response to Zn stress rather than being restricted to efficient genotypes. Fold-change responses exceeded previous studies, likely due to more severe stress exposure. Our results confirm that DMA secretion is induced under Zn-deficiency in rice as part of the micronutrient stress response. However, the lack of increased Zn uptake indicates that additional tolerance mechanisms are involved. These findings reconcile inconsistencies in the literature and position DMA secretion as an important, but not exclusive, component of Zn-deficiency adaptation in rice.