Chapter 2 - Genetic Engineering for Metal and Metalloid Detoxification

Abstract

Release of heavy metals and metalloids from diverse anthropogenic activities causes a dramatic escalation and prolonged persistence of heavy metals and metalloids, reducing the productivity of an ecosystem while imposing health threats. Potential plant species have been identified for toxic metal and metalloid resistance. This is achieved either via hyperaccumulation or exclusion/avoidance of toxic metals and metalloids. Phytoremediation is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly in situ treatment technology where toxic metal and metalloid hyperaccumulating plants are used to cleanse the environment. Application of genetic engineering to modify plants for metal uptake, transport, and sequestration has enhanced the efficiency of phytoremediation, which is achieved by transformation of the genes of metal hyperaccumulating plants and microbes that are responsible for tolerance, accumulation, and detoxification of metals and metalloids in fast-growing plant species. As more genes related to metal metabolism are discovered, genome sequencing projects could lead to new opportunities to develop efficient transgenic plants for phytoremediation. This chapter discusses the potential of genetic engineering as a strategy to improve the phytoremediation capacity of plants in the context of heavy metals and metalloid detoxification.