title: Expression and function analysis of the metallothionein-like (MT-like) gene from Festuca rubra in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplast.
abstract: The cDNA of the metallothionein-like (MT-like) gene from Festuca rubra cv. Merlin was optimized with bias codon of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplast genome. The optimized MT-like gene was delivered into C. reinhardtii chloroplast and the transgenic strains expressing MT-like gene was obtained. PCR-Southern blot and RT-PCR-Southern blot analysis demonstrated that the MT-like gene was integrated into chloroplast genome of C. reinhardtii and expressed at the transcriptional level. The cadmium binding capacity of the transgenic C. reinhardtii was determined by hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HG-AFS) and the binding properties were analyzed. Results showed that the transgenic C. reinhardtii expressing the MT-like gene exhibited remarkably higher Cd(2+) binding capacity and grew to higher densities at toxic Cd(2+) concentrations (40-100 micromol/L) than the wild type strain, and that the IC(50) of Cd(2+) (3-d treating) to algal cell growth of transgenic strain was 55.43% higher than that of the wild type strain, indicating that the Cd(2+) binding capacity and Cd(2+) tolerance of C. reinhardtii was enhanced through the expression of the foreign MT-like gene in chloroplast.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Eco-Environment, College of Life Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
authors.forename: SiHai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: ZhangLi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: AnPing
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism; D016825:Chlamydomonas reinhardtii / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D031751:Festuca / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D030781:Organisms, Genetically Modified
chemical_list: D002104:Cadmium; D008668:Metallothionein