Abstract
Plants tolerate Cd by sequestering them through synthesizing phytochelatins with the general structure (t-Glu-cys)n-gly where n= 2-11 depending upon the species from which these peptides are isolated. Recent biochemical evidence suggests that these peptides are synthesized via posttranslationally activated, metal-dependent enzymatic pathways from the precursor glutathione. However, most of these studies are confined to terrestrial species and only a few studies have been made on higher aquatic plants. Recently H. verticillata and other aquatic higher plants have been reported to be hyperaccumulators of Cd and have demonstrated the ability to remove many toxic metals, including Cd, from wastewater. It is hypothesized that cadmium hyperaccumulating ability of the macrophyte is associated with induction of the metal chelating peptides, the phytochelatins (PCs), to copeup with high cellular Cd levels. In view of this, it was considered worthwhile to examine the induction of phytochelatins and changes in levels of glutathione and related metabolites in H. verticillata under Cd stress.
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