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A novel metallothionein gene from a mangrove plant Kandelia candel

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Abstract

A new metallothionein (MT) gene was cloned from Kandelia candel, a mangrove plant with constitutional tolerance to heavy metals, by rapid amplification of cDNA ends and named KMT, which is composed of two exons and one intron. The full length of KMT cDNA was 728 bp including 121 bp 5′ noncoding domain, 240 bp open reading frame and 384 bp 3′ termination. The coding region of KMT represented a putative 79 amino acid protein with a molecular weight of 7.75 kDa. At each of the amino- and carboxy-terminal of the putative protein, cysteine residues were arranged in Cys–Cys, Cys-X-Cys and Cys-X-X-Cys, indicating that the putative protein was a novel type 2 MT. Sequence and homology analysis showed the KMT protein sequence shared more than 60 % homology with other plant type 2 MT-like protein genes. At amino acid level, the KMT was shown homology with the MT of Quercus suber (83 %), of Ricinus communis (81 %) and of Arabidopsis thaliana (64 %). Function studies using protease-deficient Escherichia coli strain BL21 Star ™(DE3) confirmed the functional nature of this KMT gene in sequestering both essential (Zn) and non-essential metals (Cd and Hg) and the E. coli BL21 with KMT can live in 1,000 μmol/L Zn, 120 μmol/L Hg, and 2,000 μmol/L Cd. The information could provide more details of the causative molecular and biochemical mechanisms (including heavy metal sequestration) of the KMT in K. candel or a scientific basis for marine heavy-metal environment remediation with K. candel. This study also provides a great significance of protecting mangrove species and mangrove ecosystem.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41176101 and No. 41076070), the projects of knowledge innovation program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KSCX2-SW-132, No. KSCX2-YW-Z-1024, No. KZCX2-YW-Q07-02 and KSCX2-EW-G-12C) and the key projects in the National Science & Technology Pillar Program in the Eleventh Five-year Plan Period (No. 2009BADB2B0606 and No. 2012BAC07B0402).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China

    Feng-Qin Zhang, You-Shao Wang, Cui-Ci Sun & Zhi-Ping Lou

  2. Daya Bay Marine Biology Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518121, China

    Feng-Qin Zhang, You-Shao Wang, Cui-Ci Sun & Zhi-Ping Lou

  3. Key Laboratory of Marine Bio-resources Sustainable Utilization, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China

    Jun-De Dong

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  1. Feng-Qin Zhang
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Correspondence to You-Shao Wang.

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Zhang, FQ., Wang, YS., Sun, CC. et al. A novel metallothionein gene from a mangrove plant Kandelia candel . Ecotoxicology 21, 1633–1641 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-012-0952-x

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