Isolation and characterization of rice cesium transporter genes from a rice-transporter-enriched yeast expression library.

A considerable portion of agricultural land in central-east Japan has been contaminated by radioactive material, particularly radioactive Cs, due to the industrial accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Understanding the mechanism of absorption, translocation and accumulation of Cs in plants will greatly assist in developing approaches to help reduce the radioactive contamination of agricultural products. At present, however, little is known regarding the Cs transporters in rice.

The Arabidopsis Mg Transporter, MRS2-4, is Essential for Mg Homeostasis Under Both Low and High Mg Conditions.

Magnesium (Mg) is an essential macronutrient, functioning as both a cofactor of many enzymes and as a component of Chl. Mg is abundant in plants; however, further investigation of the Mg transporters involved in Mg uptake and distribution is needed. Here, we isolated an Arabidopsis thaliana mutant sensitive to high calcium (Ca) conditions without Mg supplementation.

Difference in cesium accumulation among rice cultivars grown in the paddy field in Fukushima Prefecture in 2011 and 2012.

After the accident of the Fukushima 1 Nuclear Power Plant in March 2011, radioactive cesium was released and paddy fields in a wide area including Fukushima Prefecture were contaminated. To estimate the levels of radioactive Cs accumulation in rice produced in Fukushima, it is crucial to obtain the actual data of Cs accumulation levels in rice plants grown in the actual paddy field in Fukushima City. We herein conducted a two-year survey in 2011 and 2012 of radioactive and non-radioactive Cs accumulation in rice using a number of rice cultivars grown in the paddy field in Fukushima City.

Dynamic changes in the distribution of minerals in relation to phytic acid accumulation during rice seed development.

Phytic acid (inositol hexakisphosphate [InsP(6)]) is the storage compound of phosphorus in seeds. As phytic acid binds strongly to metallic cations, it also acts as a storage compound of metals. To understand the mechanisms underlying metal accumulation and localization in relation to phytic acid storage, we applied synchrotron-based x-ray microfluorescence imaging analysis to characterize the simultaneous subcellular distribution of some mineral elements (phosphorus, calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, and copper) in immature and mature rice (Oryza sativa) seeds.

Rice ABCG43 is Cd inducible and confers Cd tolerance on yeast.

An understanding of the cadmium (Cd) transport system in rice can serve as a basis for coping with Cd-related problems in rice and human health. To identify a new gene involved in Cd transport in rice, we screened our yeast library, expressing 140 kinds of rice ATP binding cassette (ABC)-type transporters. From the screening, we found that OsABCG43/PDR5 conferred high Cd tolerance on yeast.