Heavy metal induction of Arabidopsis serine decarboxylase gene expression

Serine (Ser) decarboxylase (SDC) catalyzes the conversion of Ser to ethanolamine (EA) in plants, while the physiological implications of the enzyme activity remain elusive. Here, we report that SDC gene expression in Arabidopsis was greatly induced by treatments with Ni2+ (24-fold) and Mn2+ (4-fold), and discuss possible genetic engineering strategies using the SDC gene for environmental stress management.