Genetic improvement of heavy metal tolerance in plants by transfer of the yeast metallothionein gene (CUP1) |
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Authors: | Hasegawa Isao Terada Emiko Sunairi Michio Wakita Hajime Shinmachi Fumie Noguchi Akira Nakajima Mutsuyasu Yazaki Jinya |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Agricultural and Biological Chemistry, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 154, Japan |
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Abstract: | Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) tolerates treatment with 25 µM CdCl2 for eight days, but is killed by that with a 50 µM concentration. However, even 15 µM CdCl2 is toxic in the presence of 1 mM L-buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), suggesting the presence of a Cd-inducible phytochelatin and its involvement in Cd-tolerance in cauliflower. To develop heavy metal-tolerant transgenic plants, we ligated the structural gene of yeast metallothionein gene (CUP1) downstream of CaMV35S promoter and introduced the fused gene into cauliflower. A Cd-tolerant transgenic cauliflower was selected, which grew well in the presence of 400 µM or less Cd, whereas the non-transformed cauliflower tolerated only up to 25 µM Cd. The transgenic cauliflower accumulated more Cd, especially in the upper leaves, than the non-transformed plant.In conclusion, by transfer of the yeast metallothionein gene into cauliflower increased Cd-tolerance and Cd-accumulating ability can be conferred to the plant. |
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Keywords: | cadmium cauliflower heavy metal tolerance metallothionein phytochelatin transgenic |
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