Abstract
Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) tolerates treatment with 25 μM CdCl2 for eight days, but is killed by that with a 50 μM concentration. However, even 15 μM CdCl2 is toxic in the presence of 1 μM L-buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), suggesting the presence of a Cd-inducible phytochelatin and its involvement in Cd-tolerance in cauliflower. To develop heavy metal-tolerant transgenic plants, we ligated the structural gene of yeast metallothionein gene (CUP1) downstream of CaMV35S promoter and introduced the fused gene into cauliflower. A Cd-tolerant transgenic cauliflower was selected, which grew well in the presence of 400 μM or less Cd, whereas the non-transformed cauliflower tolerated only up to 25 μM Cd. The transgenic cauliflower accumulated more Cd, especially in the upper leaves, than the non-transformed plant.
In conclusion, by transfer of the yeast metallothionein gene into cauliflower increased Cd-tolerance and Cd-accumulating ability can be conferred to the plant.
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© 1997 Kluwer Academic Publishers
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Hasegawa, I. et al. (1997). Genetic improvement of heavy metal tolerance in plants by transfer of the yeast metallothionein gene (CUP1). In: Ando, T., Fujita, K., Mae, T., Matsumoto, H., Mori, S., Sekiya, J. (eds) Plant Nutrition for Sustainable Food Production and Environment. Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences, vol 78. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0047-9_117
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0047-9_117
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
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