Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026
12:22
A Strategy to Identify Compounds that Affect Cell Growth and Survival in Cultured Mammalian Cells at Low-to-Moderate Throughput
Published on: September 22, 2019
Phytochelatin accumulation and cadmium tolerance in selected tomato cell lines
1Department of Horticulture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907.
Plant Physiology
|September 1, 1991
Summary
Tomato cells exhibit remarkable cadmium tolerance by producing phytochelatins, which bind to cadmium. This enhanced cadmium tolerance is maintained even without continuous exposure to the toxic metal.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biotechnology
- Environmental Toxicology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal pollutant impacting agriculture and human health.
- Phytochelatins are known to play a role in heavy metal detoxification in plants.
- Understanding plant tolerance mechanisms is crucial for developing strategies to mitigate heavy metal contamination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cadmium tolerance mechanisms in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cell lines.
- To characterize the role of phytochelatins in cadmium accumulation and detoxification.
- To assess the stability of cadmium tolerance in selected cell lines.
Main Methods:
- Selection of four tomato cell lines exhibiting tolerance to high concentrations of cadmium chloride (CdCl2) up to 6 millimolar.
- Quantification of intracellular cadmium concentration relative to medium concentration.
- Analysis of phytochelatin production and molecular weight distribution in response to cadmium exposure.
- Assessment of cadmium association with phytochelatin complexes using biochemical assays.
Main Results:
- Selected tomato cell lines demonstrated significant cadmium tolerance, accumulating intracellular Cd concentrations at least 2.3 times higher than the medium.
- Increased cadmium levels correlated with enhanced production of cadmium-binding phytochelatins, including a trend towards higher molecular weight forms.
- Over 90% of intracellular cadmium in the most tolerant cells was found to be bound within phytochelatin complexes.
- The acquired cadmium tolerance was stable and maintained even after removal of continuous selection pressure.
Conclusions:
- Tomato cell lines can develop substantial tolerance to cadmium through increased production of phytochelatins.
- Phytochelatins are the primary component responsible for sequestering cadmium in tolerant tomato cells.
- The stable nature of cadmium tolerance suggests potential for developing phytoremediation strategies using these cell lines.
