METALLOPHYTES: An integrated approach towards removal by plants of toxic metals from polluted soils

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 00.0413

Key words (English)

Phytoremediation; heavy metal; transport; vacuole

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: QLK-2000-00479

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 5. Frame Research Programme - 1.1.3 The 'cell factory'

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Coordinator: The Royal Veterinary and Agr. Univ., Frederiksberg (DK)

Abstract (English)

In order to improve uptake of heavy metals from contaminated soils we have wish to produce plants which excrete more organic acids. White lupin is known to excrete large amounts of carboxylates at well defined parts of the roots, the so-called mature cluster roots. We investigated this plant to learn more about the metabolism involved in organic acid excretion. Using the AFLP and RDA technique we found genes highly upregulated in parts of roots excreting. So we could show that enzymes of glycolysis are highly upregulated in mature cluster roots. Furthermore, ATP-dependent citrate lyase is highly actif in root parts excreting malate but downregulated where citrate is excreted. We have some hints that this enzyme is the key element for the switch between malate and citrate excretion. He have produced several constructs to produce transgenic plants which potentially could/should excrete more organic acids. Arabidopsis plants will soon be transformed and the plants will be analysed in the second year of the project.
In a second part of the project we ananlyzed whether ABC type transporters are involved in heavy metal resistance. We identified one member of this family which is upregulated after the addition of cadmium.Preliminary results with plants overexpressing this transporter indicate that these plants are more resistant to heavy metals.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 00.0413