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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 CdCl_{2 …}