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Evaluation of Dittrichia viscosa aquaporin Nip1.1 gene as marker for arsenic tolerant plant selection
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  • Angelo De Paolis,
  • Monica De Caroli,
  • Makarena Rojas,
  • Lorenzo Maria Curci,
  • Gabriella Piro,
  • Gian-Pietro Di Sansebastiano
Angelo De Paolis
Istituto di Scienze delle Produzioni Alimentari Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Unita Organizzativa di Supporto di Lecce

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Monica De Caroli
Universita del Salento Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali
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Makarena Rojas
Universita del Salento Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali
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Lorenzo Maria Curci
Universita del Salento Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali
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Gabriella Piro
Universita del Salento Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali
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Gian-Pietro Di Sansebastiano
Universita del Salento Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali
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Abstract

Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter is gaining attention for its high genetic plasticity and ability to adapt to adverse environmental conditions including heavy metals and metalloids pollution. Uptake and translocation of cadmium, copper, iron, nickel, lead, and zinc to the shoots have been characterized but its performance with arsenic is less known and sometimes contradictory. Tolerance to As is not related to a reduced uptake but the null mutation of the aquaporin Nip1.1 gene in Arabidopsis, makes the plant completely resistant to the metalloid. This aquaporin, localized in the Endoplasmic Reticulum is responsible for arsenite and antimony (Sb) membrane permeation but the uptake of arsenite occurs also in the null mutant, suggesting a more sophisticated action mechanism than direct uptake. The DvNIP1 gene homologue is here cloned and its expression profile in roots and shoots is characterized in different arsenic stress conditions. The use of clonal lines allowed to evidence that DvNip1.1 expression level is influenced by arsenic stress. The proportion of gene expression in roots and shoots can be used to generate an index that appears to be a promising putative selection marker to predict arsenic-resistant lines of Dittrichia viscosa plants.
28 Jul 2022Published in Plants volume 11 issue 15 on pages 1968. 10.3390/plants11151968