Transport processes involved in the vacuolar deposition of heavy metals and anthraquinones

• Research unit: COST
• Project number: C99.0060

Key words (English)

Heavy metal; cadmium; antraquinone; vacuole; phytoremediation

Research programs (English)

COST-Action 837 - Plant biotechnology for the removal of organic pollutants and toxic metals from wastewaters and contamined sites

Short description (English)

See abstract

Further information (English)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise: Universität Zürich Institut für Pflanzenbiologie Labor für molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie

Partners and International Organizations (English)

A, B, BG, CY, CZ, DK, FIN, F, D, GR, H, IRL, I, IL, NL, N, PL, P, RO, SK, SI, E, S, CH, GB

Abstract (English)

IN THIS PROJECT WE HAVE GENERATED PLANTS OVEREXPRESSING THE ABC TRANSPORTER ATMRP3 AND OTHER TRANSPORTER OF THIS FAMILY PUTATIVELY INVOLVED IN HEVAY METAL TRANSPORT AND TOLERANCE. FOR ALL OF THEM WE HAVE ALSO IDENTIFIED T-DNA INSERTION LINES. IN ADDITION WE HAVE EXPRESSED SEVERAL ABC-TYPE TRANSPORTERS IN YEAST AND IDENTIFIED TWO ABC TRANSPORTERS WHICH CAN CONFER TOLERANCE TO HEAVY METALS. WE PERFORMED A DETAILLED EXPRESSION ANALYSIS FOR ATMRP3 AND CONCLUDED THAT CADMIUM WAS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE UPREGULATION OF ATMRP3. ACTUALLY WE ARE INVESTIGATING THE TRANSGENIC PLANTS AND COULD OBSERVE THAT FOR TWO OF THEM THE ROOT/SHOOT RATIO DISTRIBUTION FOR CADMIUM WAS CHANGED. WESTERN BLOT ANALYSIS WITH SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES GENERATED AGAINST ATMRP3 INDICATE THAT THIS TRANSPORTER IS LOCALIZED ON THE PLASMA MEMBRANE. IN ORDER TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ABC TRANSPORTERS AND HEAVY METAL TOLERANCE WE HAVE INVESTIGATED THE YEAST MRP-LIKE TRANSPORTER YLL015 AND SHOWED THAT THIS GENE PRODUCT CAN CONFER A SLIGHT CADMIUM TOLERANCE IN YEAST AND EXHIBITS A GLUTATHIONE CONJUGATE TRANSPORT ACTIVITY. IN COLLABORATION WITH DR. C. KELLER AND C. COSIO WE INVESTIGATED HEAVY METAL TRANSPORT ACTIVITY IN PROTOPLASTS FROM DIFFERENT ECOTYPES OF THLASPI CAERULESCENCE AND ARABIDOPSIS HALLERI.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: COST-DB of the State Secretariat for Education and Research Hallwylstrasse 4 CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland Tel. [phone] Swiss Project-Number: C99.0060