Gene Responsible for Cadmium Accumulation in Rice Grains Found
March 28, 2018| |
Excessive cadmium (Cd) accumulation in grains of rice (Oryza sativa) is a serious health risk. Transporters in the nodes of rice distribute mineral elements, including toxic ones, to different plants tissues. However, the mechanism of Cd accumulation in grains is quite unknown. A group of researchers led by Xiaohua Hao from Hunan Normal University in China identified a node-expressed transporter gene, OsCCX2, which could be involved in controlling Cd accumulation.
Knockout of the OsCCX2 gene caused a great reduction of Cd content in the rice grains. Further analysis showed that disruption of this gene led to a reduced root-to-shoot translocation of Cd. Moreover, Cd distribution was also disturbed in internodes and leaves.
OsCCX2 was found to be localized to plasma membrane, and is mainly expressed in xylem region of vascular tissues at the nodes. OsCCX2 might function as an efflux transporter, responsible for Cd loading into xylem vessels.
The findings of the study revealed a novel Cd transporter involved in grain Cd accumulation.
For more information, read the article in Frontiers in Plant Science.
| |
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- Drought Causing Highest Losses in Agri among All Disasters, Report
- Unique Communication Strategy in Pathway that Controls Plant Growth Discovered
- New Insights on How Cellulose is Built Could Indicate How to Break it Apart for Biofuels
- Researchers Find New Clues on How to Stop Spread of Citrus Greening
- Scientists Discover Circadian Clock Controls Cell Cycle in Plants
- International Team Finds a Way to Stop Rice Blast Spread
-
Research Highlights
- SlMAPK1 Overexpression Enhances Drought Tolerance in Tomato
- Gene Responsible for Cadmium Accumulation in Rice Grains Found
-
Beyond Crop Biotech
- Hoppy Beer Without the Hops
- New CRISPR Tool Restores Protein Imbalance in Dementia Patient's Cells
-
Announcements
- Training Workshop on ComRes for Scientists
-
Resources
- CAST Issue Paper Discusses Regulatory Barriers to AgBiotech
- Open Access Wild Tomato Genome Now Available
- ISAAA SEAsiaCenter in 2017
-
Plant
- Brassinosteroids Regulate Secondary Cell Wall Formation in Poplar
- Scientists Prove CRISPR's Potential As Control for Queensland Fruit Fly
- CRISPR-Cas9 Can Modify Cotton Bollworm Genes
- Researchers Discover Gene for Salt Stress Sensitivity in Rice
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (February 12, 2025)
- Gene Editing Supplement (February 12, 2025)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet