Boron in Plant Biology

Abstract: The interest of biologists in boron (B) has largely been focused on its role in plants for which B was established as essential in 1923 (Warington, 1923[296]). Evidence that B has a biological role in other organisms was first indicated by the establishment of essentiality of B for diatoms (Smyth and Dugger, 1981[296]) and cyanobacteria (Bonilla et al., 1990[296]; Garcia‐Gonzalez et al., 1991[296]; Bonilla et al., 1997[296]). Recently, B was shown to stimulate growth in yeast (Bennett et al., 1999[296]) and to be essential for zebrafish (Danio rerio) (Eckhert and Rowe, 1999[296]; Rowe and Eckhert, 1999[296]) and possibly for trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) (Eckhert, 1998[296]; Rowe et al., 1998[296]), frogs (Xenopus laevis) (Fort et al., 1998[296]) and mouse (Lanoue et al., 2000[296]). There is also preliminary evidence to suggest that B has at least a beneficial role in humans (Nielsen, 2000[296]).While research into the role of B in plants has been ongoing for 80 years it has only been in the past 5 years that the first function of B in plants has been defined. Boron is now known to be essential for cell wall structure and function, likely through its role as a stabilizer