Genetics and Genomics of the Heavy Metal Hyperaccumulator Model Species Thlaspi caerulescens
Year: 2007
Type: other
Abstract: In the last decade heavy metal hyperaccumulator plants have been increasingly studied, mainly because of their potential use in phytoremediation. Thlaspi caerulescens is an attractive model hyperaccumulator plant, because it accommodates a high of intra-specific variation in the degrees and metal-specificity patterns of tolerance and accumulation. In this review we give an overview of recent progress made in the genetics and genomics of heavy metal hyperaccumulation in this species. QTL analysis for zinc and cadmium accumulation in segregating inter-accession crosses demonstrated that these traits are controlled by multiple genes and that there are accession-specific accumulation mechanisms with distinct metal-affinity patterns. Cross-species transcriptome analyses have revealed a large number of genes with differential expression between hyperaccumulators and non-hyperaccumulators. Many of those genes are known to be involved in metal homeostasis, and an even larger number might play a role in this process. However, most of the differentially expressed genes have probably no role in metal homeostasis, owing to the fact that species with different life history and ecology are compared. To confirm the role of candidate genes, mutant research is necessary, but not yet done in hyperaccumulators. In the absence of physical maps and full genome sequences of hyperaccumulators, comparative genomics are indispensable. Co-linearity and micro-synteny analysis should enable the identification of the genes responsible for QTL for accumulation traits in intra- and inter-specific crosses.
Institution: Wageningen University & Research
Language: English
Subfield: Genetics
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1503097999