Overexpression of rice OsREX1-S, encoding a putative component of the core general transcription and DNA repair factor IIH, renders plant cells tolerant to cadmium- and UV-induced damage by enhancing DNA excision repair.

Screening of 40,000 Arabidopsis FOX (Full-length cDNA Over-eXpressor gene hunting system) lines expressing rice full-length cDNAs brings us to identify four cadmium (Cd)-tolerant lines, one of which carried OsREX1-S as a transgene. OsREX1-S shows the highest levels of identity to Chlamydomonas reinhardtii REX1-S (referred to as CrREX1-S, in which REX denotes Required for Excision) and to yeast and human TFB5s (RNA polymerase II transcription factor B5), both of which are components of the general transcription and DNA repair factor, TFIIH. Transient expression of OsREX1-S consistently localized the protein to the nucleus of onion cells. The newly generated transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing OsREX1-S reproducibly displayed enhanced Cd tolerance, confirming that the Cd-tolerance of the initial identified line was conferred solely by OsREX1-S expression. Furthermore, transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing OsREX1-S exhibited ultraviolet-B (UVB) tolerance by reducing the amounts of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers produced by UVB radiation. Moreover, those transgenic OsREX1-S Arabidopsis plants became resistant to bleomycin (an inducer of DNA strand break) and mitomycin C (DNA intercalating activity), compared to wild type. Our results indicate that OsREX1-S renders host plants tolerant to Cd, UVB radiation, bleomycin and mitomycin C through the enhanced DNA excision repair.

Rice DEP1, encoding a highly cysteine-rich G protein γ subunit, confers cadmium tolerance on yeast cells and plants.

A rice cDNA, OsDEP1, encoding a highly cysteine (Cys)-rich G protein γ subunit, was initially identified as it conferred cadmium (Cd) tolerance on yeast cells. Of the 426 aa constituting OsDEP1, 120 are Cys residues (28.2%), of which 88 are clustered in the C-terminal half region (aa 170-426). To evaluate the independent effects of these two regions, two truncated versions of the OsDEP1-expressing plasmids pOsDEP1(1-169) and pOsDEP1(170-426) were used to examine their effects on yeast Cd tolerance. Although OsDEP1(170-426) conferred a similar level of Cd tolerance as the intact OsDEP1, OsDEP1(1-169) provided no such tolerance, indicating that the tolerance effect is localized to the aa 170-426 C-terminal peptide region. The Cd responses of transgenic Arabidopsis plants constitutively expressing OsDEP1, OsDEP1(1-169) or OsDEP1(170-426), were similar to the observations in yeast cells, with OsDEP1 and OsDEP1(170-426) transgenic plants displaying Cd tolerance but OsDEP1(1-169) plants showing no such tolerance. In addition, a positive correlation between the transcript levels of OsDEP1 or OsDEP1(170-426) in the transgenics and the Cd content of these plants upon Cd application was observed. As several Arabidopsis loss-of-function heterotrimeric G protein ß and γ subunit gene mutants did not show differences in their Cd sensitivity compared with wild-type plants, we propose that the Cys-rich region of OsDEP1 may function directly as a trap for Cd ions.

Involvement of salicylic acid signal transduction in aluminum-responsive oxidative burst in Arabidopsis thaliana cell suspension culture.

To date, a number of studies have documented the toxic impacts of Al ions in plant cells. One of the key factors required for Al cytotoxicity is the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Here we observed that Al treatments of suspension-cultured Arabidopsis thaliana cells resulted in biphasic superoxide generation monitored with chemiluminescence. Among six respiratory burst oxidase homologs (Atrbohs) coding for plant NADPH oxidase, AtrbohD was shown to be the only gene responsive to Al. As the expression of AtrbohD was rapid and long-lasting (1 min to 24 h). Al-induced superoxide generation, AtrbohD expression and cell death were all inhibited by NADPH oxidase inhibitor and superoxide dismutase. Interestingly, Al-induced AtrbohD expression and cell death were inhibited in the mutant and transgenic cell lines lacking salicylic acid biosyhthesis and accumulation (sid2 and NahG). Involvements of salicylic acid signaling in Al-induced AtrbohD expression and cell death development were also confirmed by the use of npr1 mutant cells and NPR1-overexpressing cells. Taken together, there would be a loop of SA signaling and SA-dependent expression of AtrbohD gene leading to prolonged ROS production and cell death development in the Al-exposed Arabidopsis cells.