Is differential phytochelatin production related to decreased arsenate influx in arsenate tolerant Holcus lanatus L.?

Phytochelatins (PCs) are required for arsenic (As) detoxification in nontolerant plants. In addition, a role for PCs in arsenate tolerance has recently been proven, with tolerant plants able to accumulate significantly higher concentrations of As-PC complexes at equivalent levels of stress than nontolerant plants.

The relationship between arsenate influx and PC production in tolerant and nontolerant Holcus lanatus plants was determined in this study, along with an investigation of the effect of inhibition of PC synthesis by buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) on arsenate tolerance.

A strong correlation between PC production and arsenate influx was demonstrated in arsenate-tolerant plants. In addition, inhibition of PC synthesis by BSO in tolerant plants increased arsenate sensitivity to that of the nontolerant clone. This dramatic reduction in tolerance proves that PC production is an essential component of the arsenate tolerance mechanism in H. lanatus.

This study proposes that while there is a single major gene for arsenate tolerance, hypostatic modifiers are also in operation, affecting the expression of the tolerance character.