TY - JOUR
T1 - Cloning and characterization of type 2 metallothionein-like gene from a wetland plant, Typha latifolia
AU - Zhang, Yan Wen
AU - Tam, N. F.Y.
AU - Wong, Y. S.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Research Grants Council of Hong Kong and the Centre for Coastal Pollution and Conservation of City University of Hong Kong for grant support.
PY - 2004/10
Y1 - 2004/10
N2 - A type 2 metallothionein-like (MT-like) gene, tyMT, was cloned from Cattail (Typha latifolia), a wetland plant with constitutional tolerance to heavy metals. The gene encoded a deduced peptide of 79aa residues, containing the cysteine-rich domains, typical of plant type 2 MT-like proteins which included the presence of C-C, C-X-C, and C-X-X-C (X are other amino acids other than cysteine) motifs at amino-terminus and carboxy-terminus. Southern blot analysis suggested that the tyMT gene belongs to a multi-gene family. Northern blot hybridization results showed that the transcripts of the tyMT gene in root and shoot were differently regulated by heavy metals, such as Cu2+ and Cd2+, providing new information for plant MT-like genes. When expressing the tyMT in copper sensitive MT-deficient strain of yeast, it restored the yeast's metal tolerance. Moreover, when the tyMT gene was introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana, the transgenic plants showed an increased tolerance to heavy metals, such as Cu2+and Cd2+. These results confirm that the tyMT gene is involved in heavy metal tolerance of T latifolia.
AB - A type 2 metallothionein-like (MT-like) gene, tyMT, was cloned from Cattail (Typha latifolia), a wetland plant with constitutional tolerance to heavy metals. The gene encoded a deduced peptide of 79aa residues, containing the cysteine-rich domains, typical of plant type 2 MT-like proteins which included the presence of C-C, C-X-C, and C-X-X-C (X are other amino acids other than cysteine) motifs at amino-terminus and carboxy-terminus. Southern blot analysis suggested that the tyMT gene belongs to a multi-gene family. Northern blot hybridization results showed that the transcripts of the tyMT gene in root and shoot were differently regulated by heavy metals, such as Cu2+ and Cd2+, providing new information for plant MT-like genes. When expressing the tyMT in copper sensitive MT-deficient strain of yeast, it restored the yeast's metal tolerance. Moreover, when the tyMT gene was introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana, the transgenic plants showed an increased tolerance to heavy metals, such as Cu2+and Cd2+. These results confirm that the tyMT gene is involved in heavy metal tolerance of T latifolia.
KW - Heavy metal tolerance
KW - Metallothionein-like gene
KW - Typha latifolia
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=3543128912&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.plantsci.2004.05.040
DO - 10.1016/j.plantsci.2004.05.040
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:3543128912
SN - 0168-9452
VL - 167
SP - 869
EP - 877
JO - Plant Science
JF - Plant Science
IS - 4
ER -