title: Soil metatranscriptomics for mining eukaryotic heavy metal resistance genes.
abstract: Heavy metals are pollutants which affect all organisms. Since a small number of eukaryotes have been investigated with respect to metal resistance, we hypothesize that many genes that control this phenomenon remain to be identified. This was tested by screening soil eukaryotic metatranscriptomes which encompass RNA from organisms belonging to the main eukaryotic phyla. Soil-extracted polyadenylated mRNAs were converted into cDNAs and 35 of them were selected for their ability to rescue the metal (Cd or Zn) sensitive phenotype of yeast mutants. Few of the genes belonged to families known to confer metal resistance when overexpressed in yeast. Several of them were homologous to genes that had not been studied in the context of metal resistance. For instance, the BOLA ones, which conferred cross metal (Zn, Co, Cd, Mn) resistance may act by interfering with Fe homeostasis. Other genes, such as those encoding 110- to 130-amino-acid-long, cysteine-rich polypeptides, had no homologues in databases. This study confirms that functional metatranscriptomics represents a powerful approach to address basic biological processes in eukaryotes. The selected genes can be used to probe new pathways involved in metal homeostasis and to manipulate the resistance level of selected organisms.
authors.affiliation: Ecologie Microbienne, UMR CNRS 5557, USC INRA 1193, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne, France.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lehembre
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Doillon
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: David
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perrotto
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baude
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Foulon
authors.forename: Lamia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Harfouche
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vallon
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Poulain
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Da Silva
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wincker
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oger-Desfeux
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Richaud
authors.forename: Jan V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Colpaert
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chalot
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fraissinet-Tachet
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blaudez
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marmeisse
mesh_terms: D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015723:Gene Library; D014644:Genetic Variation; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015003:Yeasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012989:Soil Pollutants