Gene expression and role in cadmium tolerance of two PLAC8-containing proteins identified in the ericoid mycorrhizal fungus Oidiodendron maius

Fungi living in heavy metal polluted soils have evolved different cellular and molecular systems to adapt and survive in these harsh environments. Oidiodendron maius Zn is an ericoid mycorrhizal fungus previously shown to be highly tolerant to zinc thanks to antioxidative enzymes and membrane transporters. A novel gene, OmFCR1, was recently identified from this fungus because it conferred strong cadmium tolerance when expressed in yeast. OmFCR1 codes for a protein belonging to the PLAC8 family and physically interacts in yeast with the mismatch repair system, involved in DNA damage repair. The O. maius Zn genome also contains another gene – named OmFCR2 – that codes for a protein sharing with OmFCR1, the PLAC8 domain and other sequence similarities.