Hyperaccumulation of arsenic in the shoots of Arabidopsis silenced for arsenate reductase (ACR2).

ABSTRACT: Endogenous plant arsenate reductase (ACR) activity converts arsenate to arsenite in roots, immobilizing arsenic below ground. By blocking this activity, we hoped to construct plants that would mobilize more arsenate aboveground. We have identified a single gene in the Arabidopsis thaliana genome, ACR2, with moderate sequence homology to yeast arsenate reductase. Expression of ACR2 cDNA in Escherichia coli complemented the arsenate-resistant and arsenate-sensitive phenotypes of various bacterial ars operon mutants. RNA interference reduced ACR2 protein expression in Arabidopsis to as low as 2% of wild-type levels. The various knockdown plant lines were more sensitive to high concentrations of arsenate, but not arsenite, than wild type. The knockdown lines accumulated 10- to 16-fold more ars

SUBMITTER: Dhankher OP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1459369 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature