Transporters: the molecular drivers of arsenic stress tolerance in plants

Abstract

Arsenic (As), the toxic metalloid, is taken up by plant roots and transported to different parts of the plant through transporters of the essential elements due to the structural analogy. The analogy of arsenate (AsV) with phosphate enables As (V) to enter plant through phosphate transporter, while, arsenite (AsIII) which is analogous to silicic acid, is taken up by plants through aquaporins. After the uptake, the different forms of As are translocated to shoot via xylem, imposing toxicity to plants that affect their growth and yield, however this depends on the effective concentration of free As anion at particular cellular organelle /site. To this end, the role of transporters becomes crucial as the central and prime regulator of As movement throughout the plant and in various cellular compartments. It is essential to understand the precise roles of different transporters involved in As uptake and transportation to avoid As accumulation and stress in plant. Therefore, this review discusses the transporters namely, phosphate transporters, nodulin 26-like intrinsic proteins, plasma membrane intrinsic proteins, tonoplast intrinsic proteins, C-type ATP binding cassette transporters, arsenical resistance 3 transporter, inositol transporters, multidrug and toxic compound extrusion transporters, and natural resistance-associated macrophage protein transporters, which are involved in As uptake, sequestration, translocation and efflux in plants, with an emphasis on As stress tolerance through the regulation of expression of the different transporters.

Effects of environmental metal and metalloid pollutants on plants and human health: exploring nano-remediation approach

“…The structural similarity between plant and element transporters allows plants to absorb the poisonous metalloid As and move it to various locations inside the plant. Plants take up As (III), which is similar to silicic acid, through aquaporins, while As (V), which is similar to phosphate which enters plants by phosphate transporters (Thounaojam et al 2021 ). Toxic effects on plant development and yield are caused by various forms of arsenate that are translocated to the shoot through xylem after absorption; however, the effect is dependent on the effective concentration of free arsenate anion at a specific cellular organelle or location.…”

“…To prevent As buildup and stress in plants, it is crucial to comprehend the specific functions of the many transporters engaged in As absorption and transit. The transporters covered include phosphate transporters, nodulin 26-like intrinsic proteins, plasma membrane intrinsic proteins, tonoplast intrinsic proteins, C-type ATP binding cassette transporters, arsenical resistance 3 transporter, inositol transporters, multidrug and toxic compound extrusion transporters, and natural resistance-associated macrophage protein transporters (Thounaojam et al 2021 ). The root cells of plants absorb arsenate and arsenite by different mechanisms: phosphate transporters and NIP proteins, respectively.…”

Mechanisms of As, Cd, Pb, and Zn hyperaccumulation by plants and their effects on soil microbiome in the rhizosphere

“…Frontiers in Environmental Science frontiersin.org example, Malate is involved in the chelation of Zn in A. halleri (Shanmugam et al, 2013). Translocated As species are partly detoxified by ABC and ACR3 (arsenite transporters), an arsenic transporter (Thounaojam et al, 2021).…”