Title

Genetic engineering to enhance mercury phytoremediation

Authors

Authors

O. N. Ruiz;H. Daniell

Abbreviated Journal Title

Curr. Opin. Biotechnol.

Keywords

COMPLETE NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCE; BACTERIAL MERA GENE; CHLOROPLAST GENOME; ARABIDOPSIS-THALIANA; POLLUTED SOILS; TRANSPORT PROTEIN; PHOTOSYSTEM-II; ION REDUCTASE; PLANTS; RESISTANCE; Biochemical Research Methods; Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology

Abstract

Most phytoremediation studies utilize merA or merB genes to modify plants via the nuclear or chloroplast genome, expressing organomercurial lyase and/or mercuric ion reductase in the cytoplasm, endoplasmic reticulum or within plastids. Several plant species including Arabidopsis, tobacco, poplar, rice, Eastern cottonwood, peanut, salt marsh grass and Chlorella have been transformed with these genes. Transgenic plants grew exceedingly well in soil contaminated with organic (similar to 400 mu M PMA) or inorganic mercury (similar to 500 mu M HgCl(2)), accumulating Hg in roots surpassing the concentration in soil (similar to 2000 mu g/g). However, none of these plants were tested in the field to demonstrate real potential of this approach. Availability of metal transporters, translocators, chelators; and the ability to express membrane proteins could-further enhance mercury phytoremediation capabilities.

Journal Title

Current Opinion in Biotechnology

Volume

20

Issue/Number

2

Publication Date

1-1-2009

Document Type

Review

Language

English

First Page

213

Last Page

219

WOS Identifier

WOS:000267521400014

ISSN

0958-1669

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