title: Plant chromium uptake and transport, physiological effects and recent advances in molecular investigations.
abstract: Increasingly, anthropogenic perturbations of the biosphere manifest in a broad array of global phenomena, causing widespread contamination of most ecosystems, with high dispersion rates of many contaminants throughout different environmental compartments, including metals. Chromium (Cr) contamination in particular, is, increasingly, posing a serious threat to the environment, emerging as a major health hazard to the biota. However, although the molecular and physiological mechanisms of plant responses to many heavy metals, especially lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd), have been focused upon in recent years, chromium has attracted significantly less attention. In this context, this review discusses aspects of Cr uptake and transport, some physiological and biochemical effects of Cr exposure in plants, and molecular defense mechanisms against this metal. Recent advances in determining these responses, in fields of knowledge such as genomics, proteomics and metallomics, are discussed herein.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ciências Ambientais (LCA), Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia (CBB), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense ''Darcy Ribeiro (UENF), Av. Alberto Lamego, 2000, Parque Califórnia, Campos dos Goytacazes, CEP:28013-602 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. Electronic address: maria_angelicagomes@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Maria Angélica da Conceição
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Centro de Estudos da Saúde do Trabalhador e Ecologia Humana (CESTEH), ENSP, FIOCRUZ, Rua Leopoldo Bulhões, 1480, 21041-210 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Rachel Ann
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hauser-Davis
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ciências Ambientais (LCA), Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia (CBB), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense ''Darcy Ribeiro (UENF), Av. Alberto Lamego, 2000, Parque Califórnia, Campos dos Goytacazes, CEP:28013-602 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Marina Satika
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ciências Ambientais (LCA), Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia (CBB), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense ''Darcy Ribeiro (UENF), Av. Alberto Lamego, 2000, Parque Califórnia, Campos dos Goytacazes, CEP:28013-602 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Angela Pierre
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Vitória
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002857:Chromium / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D017753:Ecosystem; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D008954:Models, Biological; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D002857:Chromium
keywords: Cr; Genomics; Metallomics; Oxidative stress in plants; Proteomics