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Poly(γ‐glutamylcysteinyl)glycines or phytochelatins and their role in cadmium tolerance of Silene vulgaris
Author(s) -
VERKLEIJ J. A. C.,
KOEVOETS P.,
RIET J.,
BANK R.,
NIJDAM Y.,
ERNST W. H. O.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
plant, cell and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.646
H-Index - 200
eISSN - 1365-3040
pISSN - 0140-7791
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3040.1990.tb01981.x
Subject(s) - cadmium , chemistry , caryophyllaceae , amino acid , shoot , molecular mass , phytochelatin , botany , peptide , biochemistry , biology , glutathione , organic chemistry , enzyme
. The effect of cadmium on growth of Cd‐tolerant and ‐sensitive plants of Silene vulgaris and on the production of metal‐binding compounds in both types of plants was studied. The Cd‐content of the roots and the Cd‐root/shoot ratio was higher in Cd‐tolerant plants. A Cd‐binding compound (Cd‐BC) with an apparent molecular mass of 14.5 kD was isolated from the roots of Cd‐tolerant and ‐sensitive plants, grown in 40 mmol m −3 Cd for 21 d. More than 60% of the total Cd in the roots was associated with this compound. Determination of the amino‐acid content of the purified Cd‐containing compound from both types of plants showed that they possessed a similar amino‐acid composition to that of phytochelatins. Only the bis‐ and tris‐forms were present. The amount of Cd and sulphide associated with phytochelatin was greater in tolerant plants than in sensitive ones suggesting that an increased sulphide content of complexes containing peptide, sulphide and Cd may form the basis of evolved Cd‐tolerance in Silence vulgaris.