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Plant-based FRET biosensor discriminates environmental zinc levels

Authors :
Joshua P, Adams
Ardeshir, Adeli
Chuan-Yu, Hsu
Richard L, Harkess
Grier P, Page
Claude W, Depamphilis
Emily B, Schultz
Cetin, Yuceer
Source :
Plant biotechnology journal. 10(2)
Publication Year :
2011

Abstract

Heavy metal accumulation in the environment poses great risks to flora and fauna. However, monitoring sites prone to accumulation poses scale and economic challenges. In this study, we present and test a method for monitoring these sites using fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) change in response to zinc (Zn) accumulation in plants as a proxy for environmental health. We modified a plant Zn transport protein by adding flanking fluorescent proteins (FPs) and deploying the construct into two different species. In Arabidopsis thaliana, FRET was monitored by a confocal microscope and had a 1.4-fold increase in intensity as the metal concentration increased. This led to a 16.7% overall error-rate when discriminating between a control (1μm Zn) and high (10mm Zn) treatment after 96h. The second host plant (Populus tremula×Populu salba) also had greater FRET values (1.3-fold increase) when exposed to the higher concentration of Zn, while overall error-rates were greater at 22.4%. These results indicate that as plants accumulate Zn, protein conformational changes occur in response to Zn causing differing interaction between FPs. This results in greater FRET values when exposed to greater amounts of Zn and monitored with appropriate light sources and filters. We also demonstrate how this construct can be moved into different host plants effectively including one tree species. This chimeric protein potentially offers a method for monitoring large areas of land for Zn accumulation, is transferable among species, and could be modified to monitor other specific heavy metals that pose environmental risks.

Details

ISSN :
14677652
Volume :
10
Issue :
2
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Plant biotechnology journal
Accession number :
edsair.pmid..........4de1350db7e52ac2fd4a4966d70bec69