Abstract
The feasibility of transgenic tobacco, genetically engineered to express bacterial polyphosphate (polyP) for phytoremediation of cadmium pollution was examined. The transgenic tobacco showed more resistance to Cd2+ and accumulated more Cd2+ than its wild-type progenitors. These results suggest that polyP has abilities to reduce Cd2+ toxicity, probably via a chelation mechanism, and to accumulate cadmium in the transgenic tobacco. Based on the results obtained in this study, polyP-mediated Cd2+ accumulation may serve as a useful strategy for Cd2+ phytoremediation.
