A Functional Putative Phytochelatin Synthase from the Primitive Red Alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae

Abstract

Phytochelatin synthase (PCS) catalyzes the synthesis of phytochelatins (PCs), which play a detoxification role in higher plants. Heterologous expression of CmPCS, a product of a PCS-like gene from the genomic DNA of the red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae, rescued Cd²⁺-sensitive yeast from Cd²⁺ toxicity. The fact that these transformed cells synthesized PCs demonstrates that CmPCS is functional.