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Molecular Biology Commons

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Biochemistry

Western University

Cadmium

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Molecular Biology

Absence Of Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase Atppc3 Increases Sensitivity Of Arabidopsis Thaliana To Cadmium, Ian R. Willick Jul 2013

Absence Of Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase Atppc3 Increases Sensitivity Of Arabidopsis Thaliana To Cadmium, Ian R. Willick

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and PEPC kinase (PPCK) catalyze a reaction feeding into the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, increasing the production of metal-chelating organic acids. Little research has been conducted on PEPC isoenzymes in Cd-stressed plants. Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) wild-type and AtPPC1 – AtPPC3 mutants, each lacking one of three PEPC isoenzymes, grown in 0, 1, or 5 µM CdCl2 were smaller and had increased AtPPC1 – AtPPC3 and AtPPCK1 – AtPPCK2 transcript abundance, relative phosphorylation, and PEPC activity, more so in roots than shoots. Concentrations of oxaloacetate, citrate and total organic acids increased with greater CdCl2 …


Structural Motifs Of Novel Metallothionein Proteins, Duncan E K Sutherland Apr 2012

Structural Motifs Of Novel Metallothionein Proteins, Duncan E K Sutherland

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Metallothioneins (MT) are a family of small cysteine rich proteins, which have been implicated in toxic metal detoxification, protection against oxidative stress, and as a metallochaperone. The most well studied member of the family is the mammalian MT, which consists of two domains: a β-domain with 9 cysteine residues, which sequesters 3 Cd2+/Zn2+, and an α-domain with 11 cysteine residues, which sequesters 4 Cd2+/Zn2+. The exact functions of MT are unknown but must relate to its metalation status. Several areas that could lead to the assignment of function include 1) the determination …