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OsELP Mediated Apoplastic Sequestration in Roots Acts as an Arsenic Filter, Limiting Grain Accumulation in Rice
Khushboo Chawda1,2, Waseem Siddique1,2, Dipali Srivastava1,3
1Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, India.
Rice protein OsELP enhances arsenic tolerance by sequestering the toxic metalloid in roots. Overexpression reduces arsenic in grains, offering a strategy for safer rice production.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Biochemistry
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Arsenic contamination in rice poses a significant food safety risk.
- The role of expansin-like proteins in plant arsenic detoxification was previously unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the function of rice expansin-like protein (OsELP) in arsenic (As) tolerance and compartmentalization.
- To explore OsELP's potential as a target for reducing arsenic levels in rice grains.
Main Methods:
- Transgenic approaches in Arabidopsis thaliana and rice (Oryza sativa L.).
- Overexpression and knockout mutant analysis of OsELP.
- Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) for arsenic localization.
- Assessment of biomass, photosynthetic efficiency, and antioxidant enzyme activities.
Main Results:
- OsELP overexpression significantly enhanced tolerance to arsenite and arsenate stress, preserving biomass and photosynthesis.
- OsELP facilitated apoplastic sequestration of arsenic in roots, acting as a root barrier.
- Reduced shoot translocation and significantly lower arsenic accumulation in grains of OsELP overexpression lines.
- Oselp knockout lines showed increased arsenic accumulation and sensitivity.
Conclusions:
- OsELP plays a crucial role in arsenic compartmentalization and tolerance in rice.
- OsELP functions by restricting arsenic movement from roots to shoots, thereby reducing grain contamination.
- OsELP is a promising genetic target for developing low-arsenic rice cultivars.
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