Abstract
Phytochelatin synthase (PCS) is a critical enzyme involved in heavy metal detoxification in organisms. In this study, we aim to comprehensively investigate the molecular and functional characteristics of the PCS1 gene from Nicotiana tabacum by examining its enzymatic activity, tissue-specific expression pattern, Cd-induced expression, as well as the impact on Cd tolerance and accumulation. The results demonstrated that the amino acid sequence of NtPCS1 shared a high similarity in its N-terminal region with PCS from other species. The enzymatic activity of NtPCS1 was found to be enhanced in the order Ag 2+ > Cd 2+ > Cu 2+ > Pb 2+ > Hg 2+ > Fe 2+ > Zn 2+ . In addition, RT-PCR data indicated that NtPCS1 gene is constitutively expressed, with the highest expression observed in flowers, and that its transcript levels are up-regulated by CdCl 2 . When tobacco overexpressing NtPCS1 (PCS1 lines) were grown under CdCl 2 stress, they produced more phytochelatins (PCs) than WT plants, but this did not result in increased Cd accumulation. However, in a root growth assay, the PCS1 lines exhibited hypersensitivity to Cd. The overexpression of NtPCS1 itself does not appear to be the primary cause of this heightened sensitivity to Cd, as the Arabidopsis thaliana Atpcs1 mutant overexpressing NtPCS1 actually exhibited enhanced tolerance to Cd. Furthermore, the addition of exogenous glutathione (GSH) progressively reduced the Cd hypersensitivity of the PCS1 lines, with the hypersensitivity even being completely eliminated. Surprisingly, the application of exogenous GSH led to a remarkably enhanced Cd accumulation in the PCS1 lines. This study enriches our understanding of the molecular function of the NtPCS1 gene and suggests a promising avenue for Cd tolerance through the heterologous expression of PCS genes in different species.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
The NtPCS1 N-terminal amino acid sequence was highly similar to PCS in other species.
- Taxon
- Nicotiana tabacum
Nicotiana tabacume1 - Gene
- NtPCS1e0
- Outcome
- high similarity in its N-terminal regione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the amino acid sequence of NtPCS1 shared a high similarity in its N-terminal region with PCS from other species.”
e1“PCS1 gene from Nicotiana tabacum”
Claim · model-written summary
NtPCS1 enzyme activity followed Ag 2+ > Cd 2+ > Cu 2+ > Pb 2+ > Hg 2+ > Fe 2+ > Zn 2+.
- Taxon
- Nicotiana tabacumNicotiana tabacume1
- Gene
- NtPCS1e0
- Outcome
- enzymatic activitye0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Qualifier
- Ag 2+ > Cd 2+ > Cu 2+ > Pb 2+ > Hg 2+ > Fe 2+ > Zn 2+e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The enzymatic activity of NtPCS1 was found to be enhanced in the order Ag 2+ > Cd 2+ > Cu 2+ > Pb 2+ > Hg 2+ > Fe 2+ > Zn 2+ .”
e1“PCS1 gene from Nicotiana tabacum”
Claim · model-written summary
NtPCS1 was constitutively expressed, most strongly in flowers.
- Taxon
- Nicotiana tabacumNicotiana tabacume1
- Organ / stage
- flowerse0
- Gene
- NtPCS1e0
- Outcome
- expressione0
- Direction
- higheste0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“NtPCS1 gene is constitutively expressed, with the highest expression observed in flowers”
e1“PCS1 gene from Nicotiana tabacum”
Claim · model-written summary
CdCl 2 up-regulated NtPCS1 transcript levels.
- Taxon
- Nicotiana tabacumNicotiana tabacume2
- Treatment
- CdCl 2e0
- Gene
- NtPCS1e1
- Outcome
- transcript levelse0
- Direction
- up-regulatede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“its transcript levels are up-regulated by CdCl 2”
e1“NtPCS1 gene is constitutively expressed”
e2“PCS1 gene from Nicotiana tabacum”
Claim · model-written summary
Under CdCl 2 stress, NtPCS1-overexpressing tobacco made more phytochelatins than WT.
- Taxon
- tobaccoNicotiana tabacume0
- Material
- PCS1 linese0
- Treatment
- CdCl 2 stresse0
- Gene
- NtPCS1e0
- Outcome
- phytochelatins (PCs)e0
- Direction
- moree0
- Comparator
- WT plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When tobacco overexpressing NtPCS1 (PCS1 lines) were grown under CdCl 2 stress, they produced more phytochelatins (PCs) than WT plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Under CdCl 2 stress, NtPCS1-overexpressing tobacco did not accumulate more Cd than WT.
- Taxon
- tobaccoNicotiana tabacume0
- Material
- PCS1 linese0
- Treatment
- CdCl 2 stresse0
- Gene
- NtPCS1e0
- Outcome
- Cd accumulatione0
- Direction
- did not result in increasede0
- Comparator
- WT plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When tobacco overexpressing NtPCS1 (PCS1 lines) were grown under CdCl 2 stress, they produced more phytochelatins (PCs) than WT plants, but this did not result in increased Cd accumulation.”
Claim · model-written summary
PCS1 tobacco lines were hypersensitive to Cd in a root growth assay.
- Taxon
- tobaccoNicotiana tabacume1
- Material
- PCS1 linese0
- Organ / stage
- roote0
- Outcome
- hypersensitivity to Cde0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“in a root growth assay, the PCS1 lines exhibited hypersensitivity to Cd.”
e1“tobacco overexpressing NtPCS1 (PCS1 lines)”
Claim · model-written summary
NtPCS1 overexpression enhanced Cd tolerance in an Arabidopsis Atpcs1 mutant.
- Taxon
- Arabidopsis thaliana
Arabidopsis thalianae0 - Material
- Atpcs1 mutante0
- Treatment
- overexpressing NtPCS1e0
- Gene
- NtPCS1e0
- Outcome
- tolerance to Cde0
- Direction
- enhancede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the Arabidopsis thaliana Atpcs1 mutant overexpressing NtPCS1 actually exhibited enhanced tolerance to Cd.”
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous glutathione progressively reduced Cd hypersensitivity of PCS1 tobacco lines, eventually eliminating it.
- Taxon
- tobaccoNicotiana tabacume1
- Material
- PCS1 linese0
- Treatment
- exogenous glutathione (GSH)e0
- Outcome
- Cd hypersensitivitye0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the addition of exogenous glutathione (GSH) progressively reduced the Cd hypersensitivity of the PCS1 lines, with the hypersensitivity even being completely eliminated.”
e1“tobacco overexpressing NtPCS1 (PCS1 lines)”
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous GSH markedly enhanced Cd accumulation in PCS1 tobacco lines.
- Taxon
- tobaccoNicotiana tabacume1
- Material
- PCS1 linese0
- Treatment
- exogenous GSHe0
- Outcome
- Cd accumulatione0
- Direction
- enhancede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the application of exogenous GSH led to a remarkably enhanced Cd accumulation in the PCS1 lines.”
e1“tobacco overexpressing NtPCS1 (PCS1 lines)”
The same questions in other papers
glutathione · nutrient: content · Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco)Positive and negative results
1 in the opposite direction
- negative
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.