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Free histidine as a metal chelator in plants that accumulate nickel

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Abstract

A NUMBER of terrestrial plants accumulate large quantities of metals such as zinc, manganese, nickel, cobalt and copper in their shoots1. The largest group of these so-called 'metal hyperaccumulators' is found in the genus Alyssum, in which nickel concentrations can reach 3% of leaf dry biomass2,3. Apart from their intrinsic interest, plants exhibiting this trait could be of value in the decontamination of metal-polluted soils4–6. However, the biochemical basis of the capacity for metal accumulation has not been elucidated. Here we report that exposing hyperaccumu-lator species of Alyssum to nickel elicits a large and proportional increase in the levels of free histidine, which is shown to be coordinated with nickel in vivo. Moreover, supplying histidine to a non-accumulating species greatly increases both its nickel tolerance and capacity for nickel transport to the shoot, indicating that enhanced production of histidine is responsible for the nickel hyperaccumulation phenotype in Alyssum.

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Author notes

  1. Janet D. Cotter-Howells

    Present address: Department of Plant & Soil Science, University of Aberdeen, Cruickshank Building, St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB9 2UD, UK

  2. J. Andrew C. Smith: To whom correspondence should be addressed

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, 0X1 3RB, UK

    Ute Krämer & J. Andrew C. Smith

  2. Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK

    Janet D. Cotter-Howells & John M. Charnock

  3. Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK

    Alan J. M. Baker

Authors
  1. Ute Krämer
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  2. Janet D. Cotter-Howells
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  3. John M. Charnock
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  4. Alan J. M. Baker
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  5. J. Andrew C. Smith
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Krämer, U., Cotter-Howells, J., Charnock, J. et al. Free histidine as a metal chelator in plants that accumulate nickel. Nature 379, 635–638 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/379635a0

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