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Metallothioneins and Metal Binding Complexes in Plants

  • Chapter
Book cover Heavy Metal Stress in Plants

Abstract

A heavy metal (HM) contaminated atmosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere pose serious a threat to plants. Plants growing in these environments acquire a wide range of adaptive strategies, the most prominent mechanisms being the synthesis of phytochelatins (PCs) and metallothioneins (MTs) (Reddy and Prasad 1990; Steffens 1990; Rauser 1990b, 1996; Prasad 1997; Rengel 1997). The HM deposition pattern has been correlated with forest decline and the concentration of PCs (Gawel et al. 1996). It has also been reported that certain plants function as hyperaccumulators of specific heavy metals owing to their efficient metal complexation processes (Reeves et al. 1995; Krämer et al. 1996, see Chaps. 1, 8, 13 and 14 in this Vol.). Thus, metal biomolecule complexes are of considerable interest not only for ecotoxicology but also for social point of view (Lobinski and Potin-Gautier 1998; Prasad 1998). Considering structural aspects, MTs have been classified into three groups (Fig. 3.1; Kagi and Schaffer 1988).

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  1. Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India

    M. N. V. Prasad

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© 1999 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Prasad, M.N.V. (1999). Metallothioneins and Metal Binding Complexes in Plants. In: Heavy Metal Stress in Plants. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-07745-0_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-07745-0_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-07747-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-07745-0

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