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Metal Toxicity and Resistance in Plants and Microorganisms in Terrestrial Ecosystems

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Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Volume 249

Part of the book series: Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology ((RECT,volume 249))

Abstract

Metals are major abiotic stressors of many organisms, but their toxicity in plants is not as studied as in microorganisms and animals. Likewise, research in plant responses to metal contamination is sketchy. Candidate genes associated with metal resistance in plants have been recently discovered and characterized. Some mechanisms of plant adaptation to metal stressors have been now decrypted. New knowledge on microbial reaction to metal contamination and the relationship between bacterial, archaeal, and fungal resistance to metals has broadened our understanding of metal homeostasis in living organisms. Recent reviews on metal toxicity and resistance mechanisms focused only on the role of transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and ionomics. This review is a critical analysis of key findings on physiological and genetic processes in plants and microorganisms in responses to soil metal contaminations.

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Abbreviations

γ-GC:

Gamma-glutamylcysteine

ABC:

ATP-binding cassette

ACC:

1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase

Ag:

Silver

AM:

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

APX:

Ascorbate peroxidase

As:

Arsenic

ATP:

Adenosine triphosphate

CAT:

Catalases

Cd:

Cadmium

CDF:

Cation diffusion facilitator

CEC:

Cation exchange capacity

Co:

Cobalt

COPT:

Copper transporter

Cu:

Copper

CzcABC:

Cation-proton antiporter

ECM:

Ectomycorrhizal fungi

EPS:

Exopolysaccharides

Fe:

Iron

GCS:

γ-Glutamyl-Cys synthetase

GR:

Glutathione reductase

GS:

Glutathione synthetase

GSH:

Glutathione

GST:

Glutathione-s-transferase

H2O2:

Hydrogen peroxide

Hg:

Mercury

HgCl2:

Mercuric chloride

HMA:

Heavy metal ATPase

IREG:

Iron-regulated proteins

IRT:

Iron-regulated transporter

K:

Potassium

Mg:

Magnesium

Mn:

Manganese

MRP:

Multidrug resistance-associated proteins

MT:

Metallothionein

MTP:

Metal tolerance proteins

NA:

Nicotianamine

Na:

Sodium

NADPH:

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate

NAS:

Nicotianamine synthase

Ni:

Nickel

NRAMP:

Natural resistance-associated macrophage proteins

O2:

Oxygen

OAS:

O-acetyl-l-serine

OH:

Hydroxyl radical

Pb:

Lead

PC:

Phytochelatin

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

S:

Sulfur

SAT:

Serine acetyltransferase

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

TMP:

Putative transporter protein

Trr:

Thioredoxin reductase

Ur:

Uranium

ZAT:

Zinc finger protein

ZIP:

ZRT, IRT-like proteins

Zn:

Zinc

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Acknowledgements

This research is supported by the Natural Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

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Authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biomolecular Sciences Program, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada

    Ramya Narendrula-Kotha, Gabriel Theriault, Kersey Kalubi & Kabwe Nkongolo

  2. Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada

    Melanie Mehes-Smith & Kabwe Nkongolo

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  1. Ramya Narendrula-Kotha
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  2. Gabriel Theriault
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  3. Melanie Mehes-Smith
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  4. Kersey Kalubi
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  5. Kabwe Nkongolo
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Correspondence to Kabwe Nkongolo .

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  1. Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Pim de Voogt

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Narendrula-Kotha, R., Theriault, G., Mehes-Smith, M., Kalubi, K., Nkongolo, K. (2019). Metal Toxicity and Resistance in Plants and Microorganisms in Terrestrial Ecosystems. In: de Voogt, P. (eds) Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Volume 249. Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, vol 249. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/398_2018_22

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