Biotech Updates

Researchers Find Gene for Manganese Tolerance in Rice

July 11, 2018

Metal tolerance proteins (MTPs) belong to the cation diffusion facilitator family (CDF) and are involved in metal transport and homeostasis in different plant species. A group of researchers from Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional in Mexico studied a rice gene OsMTP11, which encodes a suspected CDF transporter that is homologous to members of the Mn-CDF cluster.

The team, led by Aarón Barraza, found that the expression of OsMTP11 in the Mn-sensitive yeast mutant pmr1 enhanced its manganese (Mn) tolerance. On the other hand, knockdown of OsMTP11 resulted in growth inhibition under high concentrations of Mn as well as increased accumulation of Mn in rice shoots and roots.

The overexpression of OsMTP11 in rice was found to enhance the plants' Mn tolerance. Under a toxic level of Mn, the overexpressing rice lines exhibited decreased Mn concentrations in their shoots and roots. Further analysis revealed that the OsMTP11 protein is localized to the trans-Golgi network (TGN).

These findings suggest that OsMTP11 is a Mn transporter that is required for Mn homeostasis and contributes towards Mn tolerance in rice.

For more information, read the article in Plant Science.