Heavy metals differentially regulate the transcription of plastid genes and block mRNA splicing

The analysis of mutation variability of winter wheat under soil contamination with heavy metals of industrial discharges

“…Their entry into the plants is accompanied by the damage of ultra structure and functioning of cell organels, changes in cell metabolism, growth and development depression, productivity decrease. One of the main mechanisms of heavy metal toxic effect is their interaction with SH-groups of proteins, which leads to the change of macromolecule conformation, enzyme inactivation, damage of membrane structure as well as tylakoidal membranes of chloroplasts, and this can be the reason for expression deregulation of chloroplast genes, and as a result, the decrease of rate of photosynthesis [8][9][10][11][12][13]. In addition to direct toxic effect of heavy metals, occurrence of physiological and functional and morphological anomalies, increase of general disease incidence, there are some remote impacts which concern the major functions of living systems -reproduction and productivity, generative characteristics and mortality.…”