[Plant ABC transporters--the family with tradition]

ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters, which are found in all species, are known mainly for their ability to confer drug resistance. They have been thoroughly studied in mammals, where they became the center of interest for clinical reasons related to the resistance of tumor cells to chemotherapy treatment. Less is known about plant members of the ABC family, however, growing number of reports on their role in different physiological processes attract attention. The vacuolar ABC transporters in plants characterized to date are involved in the intracellular sequestration of cytotoxins (e.g. herbicides), as well as the products of endogenous metabolism like chlorophyll catabolites. Others localized within plasma membrane are active in the transport of secondary metabolites or phytohormones. Finally certain transporters are present in cell organelles and play a role in such processes as P oxidation. Here, we briefly introduce these proteins, and describe structural characteristic and physiological aspect of their activity in a plant cell.