Adaptive Engineering of Phytochelatin-based Heavy Metal Tolerance

Heavy Metal Tolerance

Heavy Metal Detoxification in Plants: Phytochelatin Biosynthesis and Function

Plants have evolved an extensive suite of adaptive responses to heavy metal toxicity. These include the immobilisation, exclusion, chelation and compartmentalisation of metal ions and often involve metal-binding ligands. A number of such ligands have been identified in plants and include organic acids, amino acids, peptides and polypeptides. Polypeptides include the metallothioneins (MTs), smal...

Phytochelatin biosynthesis and function in heavy-metal detoxification.

Plants respond to heavy-metal toxicity via a number of mechanisms. One such mechanism involves the chelation of heavy metals by a family of peptide ligands, the phytochelatins. Molecular genetic approaches have resulted in important advances in our understanding of phytochelatin biosynthesis. In particular, genes encoding the enzyme phytochelatin synthase have been isolated from plant and yeast...

Heavy Metal Detoxication in Plants: Phytochelatin Biosynthesis and Function

WORTH A SECOND LOOK Our search for reviews for IUBMB Life includes essays appearing in media of more limited circulation that merit exposure to an international readership. One source of excellent reviews is the Australian Biochemist, the newsletter for the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc. A review on heavymetal detoxiŽ cation in plants was published there inDecem...

Novel synthetic phytochelatin-based capacitive biosensor for heavy metal ion detection.

A novel capacitance biosensor based on synthetic phytochelatins for sensitive detection of heavy metals is described. Synthetic phytochelatin (Glu-Cys)(20)Gly (EC20) fused to the maltose binding domain protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified for construction of the biosensor. The new biosensor was able to detect Hg(2+), Cd(2+), Pb(2+), Cu(2+) and Zn(2+) ions in concentration rang...