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Rai PK, Sonne C, Kim KH. Heavy metals and arsenic stress in food crops: Elucidating antioxidative defense mechanisms in hyperaccumulators for food security, agricultural sustainability, and human health. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 874:162327. [PMID: 36813200 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The spread of heavy metal(loid)s at soil-food crop interfaces has become a threat to sustainable agricultural productivity, food security, and human health. The eco-toxic effects of heavy metals on food crops can be manifested through reactive oxygen species that have the potential to disturb seed germination, normal growth, photosynthesis, cellular metabolism, and homeostasis. This review provides a critical overview of stress tolerance mechanisms in food crops/hyperaccumulator plants against heavy metals and arsenic (HM-As). The HM-As antioxidative stress tolerance in food crops is associated with changes in metabolomics (physico-biochemical/lipidomics) and genomics (molecular level). Furthermore, HM-As stress tolerance can occur through plant-microbe, phytohormone, antioxidant, and signal molecule interactions. Information regarding the avoidance, tolerance, and stress resilience of HM-As should help pave the way to minimize food chain contamination, eco-toxicity, and health risks. Advanced biotechnological approaches (e.g., genome modification with CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing) in concert with traditional sustainable biological methods are useful options to develop 'pollution safe designer cultivars' with increased climate change resilience and public health risks mitigation. Further, the usage of HM-As tolerant hyperaccumulator biomass in biorefineries (e.g., environmental remediation, value added chemicals, and bioenergy) is advocated to realize the synergy between biotechnological research and socio-economic policy frameworks, which are inextricably linked with environmental sustainability. The biotechnological innovations, if directed toward 'cleaner climate smart phytotechnologies' and 'HM-As stress resilient food crops', should help open the new path to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) and a circular bioeconomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prabhat Kumar Rai
- Department of Environmental Science, Mizoram University, Aizawl 796004, India
| | - Christian Sonne
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Ki-Hyun Kim
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-Ro, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea.
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Seregin IV, Kozhevnikova AD. Phytochelatins: Sulfur-Containing Metal(loid)-Chelating Ligands in Plants. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:2430. [PMID: 36768751 PMCID: PMC9917255 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Phytochelatins (PCs) are small cysteine-rich peptides capable of binding metal(loid)s via SH-groups. Although the biosynthesis of PCs can be induced in vivo by various metal(loid)s, PCs are mainly involved in the detoxification of cadmium and arsenic (III), as well as mercury, zinc, lead, and copper ions, which have high affinities for S-containing ligands. The present review provides a comprehensive account of the recent data on PC biosynthesis, structure, and role in metal(loid) transport and sequestration in the vacuoles of plant cells. A comparative analysis of PC accumulation in hyperaccumulator plants, which accumulate metal(loid)s in their shoots, and in the excluders, which accumulate metal(loid)s in their roots, investigates the question of whether the endogenous PC concentration determines a plant's tolerance to metal(loid)s. Summarizing the available data, it can be concluded that PCs are not involved in metal(loid) hyperaccumulation machinery, though they play a key role in metal(loid) homeostasis. Unraveling the physiological role of metal(loid)-binding ligands is a fundamental problem of modern molecular biology, plant physiology, ionomics, and toxicology, and is important for the development of technologies used in phytoremediation, biofortification, and phytomining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya V. Seregin
- K.A. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Botanicheskaya St., 35, 127276 Moscow, Russia
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Ben Hsouna A, Michalak M, Kukula-Koch W, Ben Saad R, ben Romdhane W, Zeljković SĆ, Mnif W. Evaluation of Halophyte Biopotential as an Unused Natural Resource: The Case of Lobularia maritima. Biomolecules 2022; 12:1583. [PMID: 36358933 PMCID: PMC9687265 DOI: 10.3390/biom12111583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Halophytes are plant species widely distributed in saline habitats, such as beaches, postindustrial wastelands, irrigated lands, salt flats, and others. Excessive salt level, known to limit plant growth, is not harmful to halophytes, which have developed a variety of defense mechanisms allowing them to colonize harsh environments. Plants under stress are known to respond with several morpho-anatomical adaptations, but also to enhance the production of secondary metabolites to better cope with difficult conditions. Owing to these adaptations, halophytes are an interesting group of undemanding plants with a high potential for application in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Therefore, this review aims to present the characteristics of halophytes, describe changes in their gene expression, and discuss their synthesized metabolites of pharmacognostic and pharmacological significance. Lobularia maritima is characterized as a widely spread halophyte that has been shown to exhibit various pharmacological properties in vitro and in vivo. It is concluded that halophytes may become important sources of natural products for the treatment of various ailments and for supplementing the human diet with necessary non-nutrients and minerals. However, extensive studies are needed to deepen the knowledge of their biological potential in vivo, so that they can be introduced to the pharmaceutical and food industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anis Ben Hsouna
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Plant Improvement, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax 3018, Tunisia
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Nutrition, Higher Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology of Mahdia, University of Monastir-Tunisia, Monastir 5000, Tunisia
| | - Monika Michalak
- Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, IX WiekówKielc 19, 35-317 Kielce, Poland
| | - Wirginia Kukula-Koch
- Department of Pharmacognosy with Medicinal Plants Garden, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Chodzki Str., 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Rania Ben Saad
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Plant Improvement, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax 3018, Tunisia
| | - Walid ben Romdhane
- Plant Production, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sanja Ćavar Zeljković
- Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Department of Genetic Resources for Vegetables, Medicinal and Special Plants, Crop Research Institute, Šlechtitelů 29, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Centre of Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Palacky University, Šlechtitelů 27, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Wissem Mnif
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences and Arts in Balgarn, University of Bisha, Bisha 61922, Saudi Arabia
- ISBST, BVBGR-LR11ES31, Biotechpole Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, Ariana 2020, Tunisia
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Utilization of Legume-Nodule Bacterial Symbiosis in Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soils. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11050676. [PMID: 35625404 PMCID: PMC9138774 DOI: 10.3390/biology11050676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary The legume–rhizobium symbiosis is one of the most beneficial interactions with high importance in agriculture, as it delivers nitrogen to plants and soil, thereby enhancing plant growth. Currently, this symbiosis is increasingly being exploited in phytoremediation of metal contaminated soil to improve soil fertility and simultaneously metal extraction or stabilization. Rhizobia increase phytoremediation directly by nitrogen fixation, protection of plants from pathogens, and production of plant growth-promoting factors and phytohormones. Abstract With the increasing industrial activity of the growing human population, the accumulation of various contaminants in soil, including heavy metals, has increased rapidly. Heavy metals as non-biodegradable elements persist in the soil environment and may pollute crop plants, further accumulating in the human body causing serious conditions. Hence, phytoremediation of land contamination as an environmental restoration technology is desirable for both human health and broad-sense ecology. Legumes (Fabaceae), which play a special role in nitrogen cycling, are dominant plants in contaminated areas. Therefore, the use of legumes and associated nitrogen-fixing rhizobia to reduce the concentrations or toxic effects of contaminants in the soil is environmentally friendly and becomes a promising strategy for phytoremediation and phytostabilization. Rhizobia, which have such plant growth-promoting (PGP) features as phosphorus solubilization, phytohormone synthesis, siderophore release, production of beneficial compounds for plants, and most of all nitrogen fixation, may promote legume growth while diminishing metal toxicity. The aim of the present review is to provide a comprehensive description of the main effects of metal contaminants in nitrogen-fixing leguminous plants and the benefits of using the legume–rhizobium symbiosis with both wild-type and genetically modified plants and bacteria to enhance an efficient recovery of contaminated lands.
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Venegas-Rioseco J, Ginocchio R, Ortiz-Calderón C. Increase in Phytoextraction Potential by Genome Editing and Transformation: A Review. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 11:86. [PMID: 35009088 PMCID: PMC8747683 DOI: 10.3390/plants11010086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Soil metal contamination associated with productive activities is a global issue. Metals are not biodegradable and tend to accumulate in soils, posing potential risks to surrounding ecosystems and human health. Plant-based techniques (phytotechnologies) for the in situ remediation of metal-polluted soils have been developed, but these have some limitations. Phytotechnologies are a group of technologies that take advantage of the ability of certain plants to remediate soil, water, and air resources to rehabilitate ecosystem services in managed landscapes. Regarding soil metal pollution, the main objectives are in situ stabilization (phytostabilization) and the removal of contaminants (phytoextraction). Genetic engineering strategies such as gene editing, stacking genes, and transformation, among others, may improve the phytoextraction potential of plants by enhancing their ability to accumulate and tolerate metals and metalloids. This review discusses proven strategies to enhance phytoextraction efficiency and future perspectives on phytotechnologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javiera Venegas-Rioseco
- Departamento de Ecosistemas y Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Rosanna Ginocchio
- Departamento de Ecosistemas y Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Claudia Ortiz-Calderón
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fitorremediación, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago 9160000, Chile;
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Angulo-Bejarano PI, Puente-Rivera J, Cruz-Ortega R. Metal and Metalloid Toxicity in Plants: An Overview on Molecular Aspects. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:635. [PMID: 33801570 PMCID: PMC8066251 DOI: 10.3390/plants10040635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Worldwide, the effects of metal and metalloid toxicity are increasing, mainly due to anthropogenic causes. Soil contamination ranks among the most important factors, since it affects crop yield, and the metals/metalloids can enter the food chain and undergo biomagnification, having concomitant effects on human health and alterations to the environment. Plants have developed complex mechanisms to overcome these biotic and abiotic stresses during evolution. Metals and metalloids exert several effects on plants generated by elements such as Zn, Cu, Al, Pb, Cd, and As, among others. The main strategies involve hyperaccumulation, tolerance, exclusion, and chelation with organic molecules. Recent studies in the omics era have increased knowledge on the plant genome and transcriptome plasticity to defend against these stimuli. The aim of the present review is to summarize relevant findings on the mechanisms by which plants take up, accumulate, transport, tolerate, and respond to this metal/metalloid stress. We also address some of the potential applications of biotechnology to improve plant tolerance or increase accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola I. Angulo-Bejarano
- Laboratorio de Alelopatía, Departamento de Ecología Funcional, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, 275, Ciudad Universitaria D.F. Circuito Exterior s/n Anexo al Jardín Botánico Exterior, México City 04510, Mexico; (P.I.A.-B.); (J.P.-R.)
- School of Engineering and Sciences, Centre of Bioengineering, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Queretaro 21620, Mexico
| | - Jonathan Puente-Rivera
- Laboratorio de Alelopatía, Departamento de Ecología Funcional, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, 275, Ciudad Universitaria D.F. Circuito Exterior s/n Anexo al Jardín Botánico Exterior, México City 04510, Mexico; (P.I.A.-B.); (J.P.-R.)
| | - Rocío Cruz-Ortega
- Laboratorio de Alelopatía, Departamento de Ecología Funcional, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, 275, Ciudad Universitaria D.F. Circuito Exterior s/n Anexo al Jardín Botánico Exterior, México City 04510, Mexico; (P.I.A.-B.); (J.P.-R.)
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Zhu S, Shi W, Jie Y. Overexpression of BnPCS1, a Novel Phytochelatin Synthase Gene From Ramie ( Boehmeria nivea), Enhanced Cd Tolerance, Accumulation, and Translocation in Arabidopsis thaliana. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:639189. [PMID: 34211483 PMCID: PMC8239399 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.639189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Phytochelatins (PCs) play important roles in the detoxification of and tolerance to heavy metals in plants. The synthesis of PCs is catalyzed by phytochelatin synthase (PCS), which is activated by heavy metal ions. In this study, we isolated a PCS gene, BnPCS1, from the bast fiber crop ramie (Boehmeria nivea) using the RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) method. The full-length BnPCS1 cDNA is 1,949 bp in length with a 1,518 bp open reading frame (ORF) that encodes a 505 amino acid protein. The deduced BnPCS1 protein has a conserved N-terminus containing the catalytic triad Cys58, His164, Asp182, and a flexible C-terminal region containing a C371C372QETC376VKC379 motif. The BnPCS1 promoter region contains several cis-acting elements involved in phytohormone or abiotic stress responses. Subcellular localization analysis indicates that the BnPCS1-GFP protein localizes to the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Real-time PCR assays show that the expression of BnPCS1 is significantly induced by cadmium (Cd) and the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA). Overexpression lines of BnPCS1 exhibited better root growth and fresh weight, lower level of MDA and H2O2, and higher Cd accumulation and translocation factor compared to the WT under Cd stress. Taken together, these results could provide new gene resources for phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoujing Zhu
- College of Life Sciences, Resources and Environment, Yichun University, Yichun, China
- Key Laboratory of Crop Growth and Development Regulation of Jiangxi Province, Yichun, China
- *Correspondence: Shoujing Zhu,
| | - Wenjuan Shi
- College of Life Sciences, Resources and Environment, Yichun University, Yichun, China
| | - Yucheng Jie
- Institute of Ramie, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
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Li M, Barbaro E, Bellini E, Saba A, Sanità di Toppi L, Varotto C. Ancestral function of the phytochelatin synthase C-terminal domain in inhibition of heavy metal-mediated enzyme overactivation. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2020; 71:6655-6669. [PMID: 32936292 PMCID: PMC7586750 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Phytochelatin synthases (PCSs) play essential roles in detoxification of a broad range of heavy metals in plants and other organisms. Until now, however, no PCS gene from liverworts, the earliest branch of land plants and possibly the first one to acquire a PCS with a C-terminal domain, has been characterized. In this study, we isolated and functionally characterized the first PCS gene from a liverwort, Marchantia polymorpha (MpPCS). MpPCS is constitutively expressed in all organs examined, with stronger expression in thallus midrib. The gene expression is repressed by Cd2+ and Zn2+. The ability of MpPCS to increase heavy metal resistance in yeast and to complement cad1-3 (the null mutant of the Arabidopsis ortholog AtPCS1) proves its function as the only PCS from M. polymorpha. Site-directed mutagenesis of the most conserved cysteines of the C-terminus of the enzyme further uncovered that two twin-cysteine motifs repress, to different extents, enzyme activation by heavy metal exposure. These results highlight an ancestral function of the PCS elusive C-terminus as a regulatory domain inhibiting enzyme overactivation by essential and non-essential heavy metals. The latter finding may be relevant for obtaining crops with decreased root to shoot mobility of cadmium, thus preventing its accumulation in the food chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingai Li
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Enrico Barbaro
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Erika Bellini
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Saba
- Dipartimento di Patologia Chirurgica, Medica, Molecolare e dell’Area Critica, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Claudio Varotto
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
- Correspondence: ,
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Rai PK, Kim KH, Lee SS, Lee JH. Molecular mechanisms in phytoremediation of environmental contaminants and prospects of engineered transgenic plants/microbes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 705:135858. [PMID: 31846820 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Concerns about emerging environmental contaminants have been growing along with industrialization and urbanization around the globe. Among various options for remediating these contaminants, phytotechnology is suggested as a feasible option to maintain the environmental sustainability. The recent advances in phytoremediation, genetic/molecular/omics/metabolic engineering, and nanotechnology are opening new paths for efficient treatment of emerging organic/inorganic contaminants. In this respect, elucidation of molecular mechanisms and genetic engineering of hyperaccumulator plants is expected to enhance remediation of environmental contaminants. This review was organized to offer valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms of phytoremediation and the prospects of transgenic hyperaccumulators with enhanced stress tolerance to diverse contaminants such as heavy metals and metalloids, xenobiotics, explosives, poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), petroleum hydrocarbons, pesticides, and nanoparticles. The roles of genoremediation and nanoparticles in augmenting the phytoremediation technology are also described in an interrelated framework with biotechnological prospects (e.g., plant molecular nano-farming). Finally, political debate on the preferential use of crops versus non-crop hyperaccumulators in genoremediation, limitations of transgenics in phytotechnologies, and their public acceptance issues are discussed in the policy framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prabhat Kumar Rai
- Department of Environmental Science, Mizoram University, Aizawl 796004, India
| | - Ki-Hyun Kim
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sang Soo Lee
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju 26494, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jin-Hong Lee
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34148, Republic of Korea
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Li M, Stragliati L, Bellini E, Ricci A, Saba A, Sanità di Toppi L, Varotto C. Evolution and functional differentiation of recently diverged phytochelatin synthase genes from Arundo donax L. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2019; 70:5391-5405. [PMID: 31145784 PMCID: PMC6793451 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erz266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Phytochelatin synthases (PCSs) play pivotal roles in the detoxification of heavy metals and metalloids in plants; however, little information on the evolution of recently duplicated PCS genes in plant species is available. Here we characterize the evolution and functional differentiation of three PCS genes from the giant reed (Arundo donax L.), a biomass/bioenergy crop with remarkable resistance to cadmium and other heavy metals. Phylogenetic reconstruction with PCS genes from fully sequenced monocotyledonous genomes indicated that the three A. donax PCSs, namely AdPCS1-3, form a monophyletic clade. The AdPCS1-3 genes were expressed at low levels in many A. donax organs and displayed different levels of cadmium-responsive expression in roots. Overexpression of AdPCS1-3 in Arabidopsis thaliana and yeast reproduced the phenotype of functional PCS genes. Mass spectrometry analyses confirmed that AdPCS1-3 are all functional enzymes, but with significant differences in the amount of the phytochelatins synthesized. Moreover, heterogeneous evolutionary rates characterized the AdPCS1-3 genes, indicative of relaxed natural selection. These results highlight the elevated functional differentiation of A. donax PCS genes from both a transcriptional and an enzymatic point of view, providing evidence of the high evolvability of PCS genes and of plant responsiveness to heavy metal stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingai Li
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige (TN) , Italy
| | - Luca Stragliati
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, della Vita e della Sostenibilità Ambientale, Università degli studi di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, Parma, Italy
| | - Erika Bellini
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Ada Ricci
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, della Vita e della Sostenibilità Ambientale, Università degli studi di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, Parma, Italy
| | - Alessandro Saba
- Dipartimento di Patologia Chirurgica, Medica, Molecolare e dell’Area Critica, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Claudio Varotto
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige (TN) , Italy
- Correspondence: or
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Kolahi M, Yazdi M, Goldson-Barnaby A, Tabandeh MR. In silico prediction, phylogenetic and bioinformatic analysis of SoPCS gene, survey of its protein characterization and gene expression in response to cadmium in Saccharum officinarum. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2018; 163:7-18. [PMID: 30031266 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Phytochelatin synthase isolated from microorganisms, yeasts, algae and plant, serve a fundamental role in reducing heavy metals. In this research the in silico PCS gene structure (SoPCS) of sugarcane, its secondary and 3D protein structure, physicochemical properties, cell localization and phylogenetic tree were predicted utilizing bioinformatics tools. SoPCS expression in the leaves and roots of sugarcane in tissue culture treated with cadmium was also studied utilizing real time PCR. The predicted SoPCS gene contains 1524 nucleotides, a protein encoded with 508 amino acids of which the molecular weight is 55953.3 Da, 6 exons and 5 introns. The subcellular position of the enzyme is mitochondrion or cytoplasmic. Two domains belonging to the phytochelatin synthase family with similar features was found in Pfam having more than 97% similarity with the predicted SoPCS protein. Phylogeny analyses of plant species were well isolated from other organisms. Ten disulfide-bonded cysteines were excluded from the structure of SoPCS. The predicted 3D structure of SoPCS showed that it is able to bind to L-gamma-glutamylcysteine as substrate. The binding site sequence of PCS included amino acids 52(Q),55(P),56(A),57(F), 58(C),103(G),104(I),151(S),163(G),165(F),206(D), 213(R). The common amino acid with conserved sequence in the binding site of the plant was 103Gly. Gene expression indicated that SoPCS has an important role in the response of sugarcane to cadmium with potential use in genetic engineering to remove metal contaminants in the environment. This is the first characterization of a PCS from sugarcane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Kolahi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.
| | - Milad Yazdi
- Department of Genetic, Faculty of Science, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Reza Tabandeh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
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Koźmińska A, Wiszniewska A, Hanus-Fajerska E, Muszyńska E. Recent strategies of increasing metal tolerance and phytoremediation potential using genetic transformation of plants. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY REPORTS 2018; 12:1-14. [PMID: 29503668 PMCID: PMC5829118 DOI: 10.1007/s11816-017-0467-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Avoidance and reduction of soil contamination with heavy metals is one of the most serious global challenges. Nowadays, science offers us new opportunities of utilizing plants to extract toxic elements from the soil by means of phytoremediation. Plant abilities to uptake, translocate, and transform heavy metals, as well as to limit their toxicity, may be significantly enhanced via genetic engineering. This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent strategies aimed at the improvement of plant phytoremediation potential using plant transformation and employing current achievements in nuclear and cytoplasmic genome transformation. Strategies for obtaining plants suitable for effective soil clean-up and tolerant to excessive concentrations of heavy metals are critically assessed. Promising directions in genetic manipulations, such as gene silencing and cis- and intragenesis, are also discussed. Moreover, the ways of overcoming disadvantages of phytoremediation using genetic transformation approachare proposed. The knowledge gathered here could be useful for designing new research aimed at biotechnological improvement of phytoremediation efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Koźmińska
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. 29 Listopada 54, 31-425 Kraków, Poland
| | - Alina Wiszniewska
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. 29 Listopada 54, 31-425 Kraków, Poland
| | - Ewa Hanus-Fajerska
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. 29 Listopada 54, 31-425 Kraków, Poland
| | - Ewa Muszyńska
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Agriculture and Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), Nowoursynowska 159, Building 37, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
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Chen Y, Chen C, Tan Z, Liu J, Zhuang L, Yang Z, Huang B. Functional Identification and Characterization of Genes Cloned from Halophyte Seashore Paspalum Conferring Salinity and Cadmium Tolerance. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:102. [PMID: 26904068 PMCID: PMC4746305 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Salinity-affected and heavy metal-contaminated soils limit the growth of glycophytic plants. Identifying genes responsible for superior tolerance to salinity and heavy metals in halophytes has great potential for use in developing salinity- and Cd-tolerant glycophytes. The objective of this study was to identify salinity- and Cd-tolerance related genes in seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum), a halophytic perennial grass species, using yeast cDNA expression library screening method. Based on the Gateway-compatible vector system, a high-quality entry library was constructed, which contained 9.9 × 10(6) clones with an average inserted fragment length of 1.48 kb representing a 100% full-length rate. The yeast expression libraries were screened in a salinity-sensitive and a Cd-sensitive yeast mutant. The screening yielded 32 salinity-tolerant clones harboring 18 salinity-tolerance genes and 20 Cd-tolerant clones, including five Cd-tolerance genes. qPCR analysis confirmed that most of the 18 salinity-tolerance and five Cd-tolerance genes were up-regulated at the transcript level in response to salinity or Cd stress in seashore paspalum. Functional analysis indicated that salinity-tolerance genes from seashore paspalum could be involved mainly in photosynthetic metabolism, antioxidant systems, protein modification, iron transport, vesicle traffic, and phospholipid biosynthesis. Cd-tolerance genes could be associated with regulating pathways that are involved in phytochelatin synthesis, HSFA4-related stress protection, CYP450 complex, and sugar metabolism. The 18 salinity-tolerance genes and five Cd-tolerance genes could be potentially used as candidate genes for genetic modification of glycophytic grass species to improve salinity and Cd tolerance and for further analysis of molecular mechanisms regulating salinity and Cd tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Chen
- Department of Turfgrass Science, College of Agro-Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Chuanming Chen
- Department of Turfgrass Science, College of Agro-Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Zhiqun Tan
- Department of Turfgrass Science, College of Agro-Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Turfgrass Science, College of Agro-Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Lili Zhuang
- Department of Turfgrass Science, College of Agro-Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Zhimin Yang
- Department of Turfgrass Science, College of Agro-Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Bingru Huang
- Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers, The State University of New JerseyNew Brunswick, NJ, USA
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