Molecular regulation and physiological response of phosphorus absorption and utilization in woody plants

Phosphorus (P) is one of the essential macronutrients for plants, involved in physiological processes such as growth, development, and reproduction. However, due to its poor mobility and tendency to bind with metal ions and become immobilized, woody plants have long been constrained by low soil inorganic phosphorus (Pi) availability. Woody plants enhance phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) via complex adaptations, and elucidating their adaptation mechanisms to low-Pi stress is critical for formulating forest cultivation strategies. This review focuses on: morphological remodeling, physiological and biochemical regulation, molecular-level control, and the root-mycorrhizal fungal symbiotic system. Current studies have clarified the main pathways of Pi uptake, translocation, and storage in woody plants, as well as the basic morphological, physiological, and ecological response patterns of trees under low-Pi stress. Nevertheless, how Pi affects wood formation, the construction of global Pi signaling pathways, how woody respond to combined stress of Pi and other nutrients, how woody plants select symbiotic fungi, and how Pi is distributed in the root-mycorrhizal remain to be further explored. Future research should shift toward regulating Pi homeostasis under multi-factor coupling, link Pi to woody physiological responses, metabolic pathways, molecular data, and ecological processes, and promote comprehensive understanding of adaptation to low-Pi stress.