Rate of phytochelatin production: Importance to metal tolerance. [Deschampsia caespitosa]

Journal Article · Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1989 · Plant Physiology, Supplement; (USA)

OSTI ID:6936466

Cureton-Brown, M; Rauser, W E ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Guelph, Ontario (Canada)

Low molecular weight, cysteine-rich metal-binding peptides are produced in plants exposed to metals. This study focuses on the hypothesis that the rate of phytochelatin production is important to metal tolerance. Four clones of Deschampsia caespitosa tolerant of Cu and Ni, and one non-tolerant clone, were exposed to Cu and Ni for various times up to 24h. Root extracts were chromatographed on an anion exchange column to separate the metal-peptide fraction from unbound metal. In three metal-tolerant clones up to 95% of the buffer-soluble Cu and Ni was found in the metal-peptide fraction after 1h of exposure, with little change occurring subsequently. The non-tolerant clone bound only 2% of the metal after 1h. Copper remained low over 24h while Ni increased in the peptide fraction to the levels found in the tolerant clones. One metal tolerant clone did not conform to the patterns found in the other three. These data support the hypothesis that metal tolerance is, in some cases, related to the ability of roots to rapidly bind the metal that enters cells.

• OSTI ID: 6936466
• Journal Information: Plant Physiology, Supplement; (USA), Vol. 89:4; ISSN 0079-2241
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
COPPER
TOLERANCE
NICKEL
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
PEPTIDES
PLANT CELLS
ROOTS
ELEMENTS
KINETICS
METALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROTEINS
REACTION KINETICS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology