Abstract
Phytochelatin synthase (PCS) catalyzes the biosynthesis of phytochelatins (PCs), which play an essential role in detoxification of heavy metals in plants and other living organisms. In this study, we investigated the roles of the maize phytochelatin synthase gene ZmPCS1 in cadmium (Cd) tolerance. Induced expression results showed that expression of ZmPCS1 was upregulated under Cd stress in maize leaves and roots. Moreover, ZmPCS1 repaired the defective phenotypes resulting from heteroexpression of ZmPCS1 in the Cd-sensitive yeast mutant ∆ycf1 and Arabidopsis AtPCS1-deficent mutant atpcs1 under Cd stress. Moreover, overexpression in Arabidopsis also enhanced Cd tolerance and accumulation. Further analysis suggested that this increase in tolerance was due to increases in glutathione and PC contents, and a decrease in reactive oxygen species accumulation. Meanwhile, transient expression of ZmPCS1 in tobacco leaves was also found to cause a decrease in Cd toxicity. Taken together, these results suggest that the maize ZmPCS1 gene plays an important role in Cd tolerance in yeast and plants, and could, therefore, serve as a promising candidate in future breeding programs in crops.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agarwal P, Mitra M, Banerjee S, Roy S (2020) MYB4 transcription factor, a member of R2R3-subfamily of MYB domain protein, regulates cadmium tolerance via enhanced protection against oxidative damage and increases expression of PCS1 and MT1C in Arabidopsis. Plant Sci 297:110501
Blum JK, Bommarius AS (2010) Amino ester hydrolase from Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris, ATCC 33913 for enzymatic synthesis of ampicillin. J Mol Catal B Enzym 67:21–28
Brunetti P, Zanella L, Proia A, Paolis AD, Falasca G, Altamura MM, Toppi LSd, Costantino P, Cardarelli M (2011) Cadmium tolerance and phytochelatin content of Arabidopsis seedlings over-expressing the phytochelatin synthase gene AtPCS1. J Exp Bot 62:5509–5519
Cai Y, Cao FB, Cheng WD, Zhang GP, Wu FB (2011) Modulation of exogenous glutathione in phytochelatins and photosynthetic performance against Cd stress in the two rice genotypes differing in Cd tolerance. Biol Trace Elem Res 143:1159–1173
Cazalé AC, Clemens S (2001) Arabidopsis thaliana expresses a second functional phytochelatin synthase. FEBS Lett 507:215–219
Chen J, Yang L, Gu J, Bai X, Ren Y, Fan T, Han Y, Jiang L, Xiao F, Liu Y, Cao S (2015) MAN3 gene regulates cadmium tolerance through the glutathione-dependent pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana. New Phytol 205:570–582
Chen J, Yang L, Yan X, Liu Y, Wang R, Fan T, Ren Y, Tang X, Xiao F, Liu Y (2016) Zinc-Finger Transcription Factor ZAT6 positively regulates cadmium tolerance through the glutathione-dependent pathway in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol 171:707–719
Clemens S, Ma JF (2016) Toxic heavy metal and metalloid accumulation in crop plants and foods. Annu Rev Plant Biol 67:489–512
Clemens S, Aarts MG, Thomine S, Verbruggen N (2013) Plant science: the key to preventing slow cadmium poisoning. Trends Plant Sci 18:92–99
Cobbett CS (2000) Phytochelatins and their roles in heavy metal detoxification. Plant Physiol 123:825–832
Cobbett C, Goldsbrough P (2002) Phytochelatins and metallothioneins: roles in heavy metal detoxification and homeostasis. Annu Rev Plant Biol 53:159–182
Dalcorso G, Farinati S, Furini A (2010) Regulatory networks of cadmium stress in plants. Plant Signal Behav 5:663–667
Das N, Bhattacharya S, Bhattacharyya S, Maiti MK (2017) Identification of alternatively spliced transcripts of rice phytochelatin synthase 2 gene OsPCS2 involved in mitigation of cadmium and arsenic stresses. Plant Mol Biol 94:167–183
Erdei S (2002) Heavy metal induced physiological changes in the antioxidative response system. Acta Biol Szegediensis 46:89–90
Francesca D, Maria DB, Alessandro P, Alberto M, Laura F, Sergio S, Adriana B, Luigi SdT (2014) A Cd/Fe/Zn-responsive phytochelatin synthase is constitutively present in the ancient liverwort lunularia cruciata (L.) dumort. Plant Cell Physio 55:1884–1891
Garnier L, Simon-Plas FO, Thuleau P, Agnel JP, Blein JP, Ranjeva R, Montillet JL (2006) Cadmium affects tobacco cells by a series of three waves of reactive oxygen species that contribute to cytotoxicity. Plant Cell Environ 29:1956–1969
Gill SS, Tuteja N (2011) Cadmium stress tolerance in crop plants: probing the role of sulfur. Plant Signal Behav 6:215–222
Gong JM, Lee DA, Schroeder JI (2003) Long-distance root-to-shoot transport of phytochelatins and cadmium in Arabidopsis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100:10118–10123
Guo J, Dai X, Xu W, Ma M (2008) Overexpressing GSH1 and AsPCS1 simultaneously increases the tolerance and accumulation of cadmium and arsenic in Arabidopsis thaliana. Chemosphere 72:1020–1026
Ha S-B (1999) Phytochelatin synthase genes from arabidopsis and the yeast. Plant Cell 11:1153–1164
Hall JL (2002) Cellular mechanisms for heavy metal detoxification and tolerance. J Exp Bot 53:1–11
Jiang YL, Zheng QQ, Chen L, Liang YL, Wu JD (2018) Ectopic overexpression of maize heat shock transcription factor gene ZmHsf04 confers increased thermo and salt-stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis. Acta Physiol Plant 40:1–12
Jozefczak M, Remans T, Vangronsveld J, Cuypers A (2012) Glutathione is a key player in metal-induced oxidative stress defenses. Int J Mol Sci 13:3175–3145
Jozefczak M, Bohler S, Schat H, Horemans N, Guisez Y, Remans T, Vangronsveld J, Cuypers A (2015) Both the concentration and redox state of glutathione and ascorbate influence the sensitivity of arabidopsis to cadmium. Ann Botany 116(4):601–612
Kim DY, Bovet L, Kushnir S, Noh EW, Martinoia E, Lee Y (2006) AtATM3 is involved in heavy metal resistance in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol 140:922–932
Kováčik J (2019) Role of low molecular weight compounds in cadmium stress tolerance. In: Hasanuzzaman M, Prasad MNV, Nahar K (eds) Cadmium tolerance in plants: Agronomic, molecular, signaling, and omic approaches. Academic Press, pp 281–318
Kováčik J, Babula P, Klejdus B, Hedbavny J, Jarošová M (2014) Unexpected behavior of some nitric oxide modulators under cadmium excess in plant tissue. PLoS ONE 9:e91685
Kováčik J, Klejdus B, Babula P, Hedbavny J (2016) Age affects not only metabolome but also metal toxicity in Scenedesmus quadricauda cultures. J Hazard Mater 306:58–66
Lee S, Petros D, Moon JS, Ko TS, Goldsbrough PB, Korban SS (2003) Higher levels of ectopic expression of Arabidopsis phytochelatin synthase do not lead to increased cadmium tolerance and accumulation. Plant Physiol Biochem 41:903–910
Lee M, Lee K, Lee J, Noh EW, Lee Y (2005) AtPDR12 contributes to lead resistance in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol 138:827–836
Li YJ, Dhankher OP, Carreira L, Lee D, Chen A, Schroeder JI, Balish RS, Meagher RB (2004) Overexpression of phytochelatin synthase in arabidopsis leads to enhanced arsenic tolerance and cadmium hypersensitivity. Plant Cell Physiol 45:1787–1797
Li JC, Guo JB, Xu WZ, Ma M (2007) RNA interference-mediated silencing of phytochelatin synthase gene reduce cadmium accumulation in rice seeds. J Integr Plant Biol 49:1032–1037
Liang Y, Jiang Y, Du M, Li B, Wu J (2019) ZmASR3 from the maize ASR gene family positively regulates drought tolerance in transgenic arabidopsis. Int J Mol Sci 20:2278
Lin YF, Aarts MGM (2012) The molecular mechanism of zinc and cadmium stress response in plants. Cell Mole Life Sci 69:3187–3206
Liu GY, Zhang YX, Chai TY (2011) Phytochelatin synthase of Thlaspi caerulescens enhanced tolerance and accumulation of heavy metals when expressed in yeast and tobacco. Plant Cell Rep 30:1067–1076
María L, Flores-Cáceres S, Hattab S, Hattab H, Boussetta M (2015) Specific mechanisms of tolerance to copper and cadmium are compromised by a limited concentration of glutathione in alfalfa plants. Plant Sci 233:165–173
Mourato M, Reis R, Martins LL (2012) Characterization of plant antioxidative system in response to abiotic stresses: a focus on heavy metal toxicity. Adv Sel Plant Physiol Aspects 12:1–17
Nahar N, Rahman A, Mos M, Warzecha T, Ghosh S, Hossain K, Nawani NN, Mandal A (2014) In silico and in vivo studies of molecular structures and mechanisms of AtPCS1 protein involved in binding arsenite and/or cadmium in plant cells. J Mol Model 20(3):1–16
Nalini P, Pathak GC, Pandey DK, Ritu P (2009) Heavy metals Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Cd, produce oxidative damage and evoke differential antioxidant responses in spinach. Braz J Plant Physiol 21:103–111
Noctor G, Mhamdi A, Chaouch S, Han YI, Neukermans J, Marquez-Garcia B, Queval G, Foyer CH (2012) Glutathione in plants: an integrated overview. Plant Cell Environ 35:454–484
Pomponi M, Censi V, Di Girolamo V, De Paolis A, di Toppi LS, Aromolo R, Costantino P, Cardarelli M (2006) Overexpression of Arabidopsis phytochelatin synthase in tobacco plants enhances Cd(2+) tolerance and accumulation but not translocation to the shoot. Planta 223:180–190
Ramos J, Clemente MR, Naya L, Loscos J, Becana M (2007) Phytochelatin synthases of the model legume Lotus japonicus. a small multigene family with differential response to cadmium and alternatively spliced variants. Plant Physiol 143:1110–1118
Ruotolo R, Peracchi A, Bolchi A, Infusini G, Amoresano A, Ottonello S (2004) Domain organization of phytochelatin synthase: functional properties of truncated enzyme species identified by limited proteolysis. J Bio Chem 279(15):14686–14693
Sauge-Merle S, Cuine S, Carrier P, Lecomte-Pradines C, Luu DT, Peltier G (2003) Enhanced toxic metal accumulation in engineered bacterial cells expressing Arabidopsis thaliana phytochelatin synthase. Appl Environ Microbiol 69:490–494
Semane B, Cuypers A, Smeets K, Belleghem FV, Horemans N, Schat H, Vangronsveld J (2007) Cadmium responses in Arabidopsis thaliana: glutathione metabolism and antioxidative defence system. Physiol Plant 129:519–528
Shine AM, Shakya VP, Idnurm A (2015) Phytochelatin synthase is required for tolerating metal toxicity in a basidiomycete yeast and is a conserved factor involved in metal homeostasis in fungi. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 28:2–3
Singh V, Tripathi BN, Sharma V (2016) Interaction of Mg with heavy metals (Cu, Cd) in T. aestivum with special reference to oxidative and proline metabolism. J Plant Res 129:487–497
Vatamaniuk OK, Mari S, Lu YP, Rea PA (1999) AtPCS1, a phytochelatin synthase from Arabidopsis: Isolation and in vitro reconstitution. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 96:7110–7115
Wang F, Wang Z, Zhu C (2012) Heteroexpression of the wheat phytochelatin synthase gene (TaPCS1) in rice enhances cadmium sensitivity. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin 44:886–893
Wojas C, Hennig S, Kopera S, Bal A, DM, (2008) Overexpression of phytochelatin synthase in tobacco: distinctive effects of AtPCS1 and CePCS genes on plant response to cadmium. J EXP BOT 59:2205–2219
Zhang XX, Rui HY, Zhang FQ, Hu ZB, Xia Y, Shen ZG (2018) Overexpression of a functional Vicia sativa PCS1 homolog increases cadmium tolerance and phytochelatins synthesis in arabidopsis. Front Plant Sci 9:107–118
Zhu YL, Pilon-Smits EA, Jouanin L, Terry N (1999) Overexpression of glutathione synthetase in Indian mustard enhances cadmium accumulation and tolerance. Plant Physiol 119:73–80
Funding
This work was supported by the Anhui Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 2008085MC70), the SRF of Anhui and AHAU (S202110364238, 202110364413) and the Special Project of Local Science and Technology Development Guided by the Central Government of Anhui Province, China (grant number 2019b12030007).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Additional information
Communicated by J. Kovacik.
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Jin, D., Zhang, Q., Liu, Y. et al. Overexpression of the maize phytochelatin synthase gene (ZmPCS1) enhances Cd tolerance in plants. Acta Physiol Plant 44, 114 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-022-03451-1
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-022-03451-1