Heavy metal tolerance of transgenic tobacco plants over-expressing cysteine synthase.
Cysteine synthase [O-acetyl-L-serine(thiol)lyase] catalyzes the final step for L-cysteine biosynthesis in plants. The tolerance of transgenic tobacco plants over-expressing cysteine synthase cDNA in cytosol (3F), chloroplasts (4F) and in both organelles (F1) was investigated towards heavy metals such as Cd, Se, Ni, Pb and Cu. The transgenic plants were significantly more tolerant than wild-type plants in agar medium containing Cd, Se and Ni. The F1 transgenic plants had a higher resistance than other transgenic lines towards these metals and could enhance accumulation of Cd in shoot. These results suggest that the transgenic plants over-expressing cysteine synthase both in cytosol and chloroplasts can be applicable to phyto-remediation of Cd from contaminated soils.
Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Yayoi-cho 1-33, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan.
Cintia Goulart
CG
Kawashima
Masaaki
M
Noji
Michimi
M
Nakamura
Yasumitsu
Y
Ogra
Kazuo T
KT
Suzuki
Kazuki
K
Saito
D000362:Agar / Q000737:chemistry; D002104:Cadmium / Q000737:chemistry; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000201:enzymology*; D003470:Culture Media; D003545:Cysteine / Q000737:chemistry; D003547:Cysteine Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000201:enzymology; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000633:toxicity*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000201:enzymology*; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*
D003470:Culture Media; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D002104:Cadmium; D000362:Agar; D003547:Cysteine Synthase; D003545:Cysteine