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Anthocyanin-mediated arsenic tolerance in plants
Golam Jalal Ahammed1, Youxin Yang2
1College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471023, Henan, China.
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
|November 11, 2021
Summary
Plants use metabolites to detoxify toxic metal(loid)s. Anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid, enhance arsenic tolerance by chelating arsenic and aiding its sequestration, improving plant growth and food safety.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Environmental Toxicology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Plants detoxify metal(loid)s via metabolites, including ROS scavenging and ion chelation.
- Classical detoxification involves thiol compounds like glutathione (GSH) and phytochelatins (PCs) for metal conjugation and vacuolar sequestration.
- Emerging evidence suggests secondary metabolites, particularly anthocyanins, play a role in metal(loid) detoxification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review arsenic detoxification mechanisms in plants.
- To explore the potential role of anthocyanins in arsenic tolerance beyond classical pathways.
- To propose anthocyanin manipulation for sustainable crop yield and food safety in arsenic-polluted lands.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of plant metal(loid) detoxification pathways.
- Analysis of anthocyanin's role in arsenic tolerance, including conjugation and sequestration.
- Discussion of regulatory factors like MYBs and HY5 in anthocyanin biosynthesis and arsenic stress response.
Main Results:
- Anthocyanins, flavonoids with ROS scavenging potential, enhance arsenic tolerance in plants.
- Anthocyanins may conjugate with arsenic, facilitating vacuolar sequestration, similar to GSH and PCs.
- Exogenous or endogenous anthocyanin accumulation improves plant growth and productivity under arsenic stress.
Conclusions:
- Anthocyanins offer a novel mechanism for arsenic detoxification in plants.
- Plant hormones and signaling molecules can stimulate anthocyanin synthesis, conferring arsenic tolerance.
- Targeted anthocyanin manipulation in crops could ensure food safety and yield on arsenic-contaminated land.
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