Analysis on a Cadmium Tolerant Arabidopsis Mutant Isolated Using Cd-Gradient Agar Plates

Abstract

In order to phytoremediate Cd-contaminated soils, we need a wide range of information about plant responses to Cd. Aiming to isolate Arabidopsis mutants that show altered responses to the heavy metal, we prepared Cd-gradient agar plates (CGAPs), in which a gradation of Cd concentration was formed at the media surface. CGAPs enabled us to isolate some interesting Arabidopsis mutants. The T-32 line was one of Cd tolerant mutant lines that were isolated in our previous study. Subsequent study showed that T-32 seedlings were tolerant not only to Cd, but also to Ni. When the T-32 plants were fed with 30 μM of Cd for 24 h, they accumulated Cd at a concentration about 2.5 fold higher than WT. Chromosomal location of the mutation responsible for the Cd-tolerant and accumulating phenotype is now under investigation.