Characterization of cgMT1, a metallothionein-like gene from the actinorhizal tree Casuarina glauca.

OBERTELLO M, LAPLAZE L, AUGUY F, NICOLE M, BOGUSZ D, FRANCHE C.

Beijing, China.

Congreso; 14th International Congress on Nitrogen Fixation.; 2004

Casuarina glauca is an actinorhizal tropical tree native from Australia. Due to its symbiotic association with a nitrogen-fixing actinomycete called Frankia and with mycorrhiza, Casuarina is a pioneer species used in the tropics and subtropics for fuelwood production, agroforestry, and land reclamation.  Our laboratory has concentrated on the molecular study of plant genes expressed during the interaction with Frankia. One of these genes is cgMT1, a metallothionein-like sequence. Metallothioneins (MT) are low molecular weight cysteine-rich proteins, which provide thiols for metal chelation. Plant MTs might be involved in various biological processes such as heavy metal metabolism, detoxification of activated oxygen, apoptosis, development, and defence reaction to plant pathogens (Rauser, 1999).  The aim of this work is to study cgMT1 expression and function using transgenic Casuarinaceae and Arabidopsis thaliana plants.