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Metal ion ligands in hyperaccumulating plants

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Abstract

Metal-hyperaccumulating plants have the ability to take up extraordinary quantities of certain metal ions without succumbing to toxic effects. Most hyperaccumulators select for particular metals but the mechanisms of selection are not understood at the molecular level. While there are many metal-binding biomolecules, this review focuses only on ligands that have been reported to play a role in sequestering, transporting or storing the accumulated metal. These include citrate, histidine and the phytosiderophores. The metal detoxification role of metallothioneins and phytochelatins in plants is also discussed.

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Abbreviations

Ala:

Alanine

Arg:

Arginine

Asn:

Asparagine

Asp:

Aspartic acid

Cys:

Cysteine

EXAFS:

Extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy

Gln:

Glutamine

Glu:

Glutamic acid

Gly:

Glycine

His:

Histidine

Ile:

Isolucine

Leu:

Leucine

Lys:

Lysine

MT:

Metallothionein

NA:

Nicotianamine

NAAT:

Nicotianamine aminotransferase

NAS:

Nicotianamine synthase

NiCoTs:

Ni/Cobalt transporters

PC:

Phytochelatin

Phe:

Phenylalanine

Pro:

Proline

PS:

Phytosiderophores

SAM:

S-adenosyl-methionine

Ser:

Serine

Thr:

Threonine

Tyr:

Tyrosine

Val:

Valine

XAS:

X-ray absorption spectroscopy

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, 3010, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Damien L. Callahan, Spas D. Kolev & Anthony G. Wedd

  2. School of Botany, The University of Melbourne, 3010, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Alan J. M. Baker

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  1. Damien L. Callahan
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  2. Alan J. M. Baker
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Correspondence to Alan J. M. Baker.

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Callahan, D.L., Baker, A.J.M., Kolev, S.D. et al. Metal ion ligands in hyperaccumulating plants. J Biol Inorg Chem 11, 2–12 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00775-005-0056-7

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