Phosphate Transporter PvPht1;2 Enhances Phosphorus Accumulation and Plant Growth without Impacting Arsenic Uptake in Plants

• Published in: Environmental science & technology 2018-04, Vol.52 (7), p.3975-3981
• Main Authors: Cao, Yue, Sun, Dan, Chen, Jun-Xiu, Mei, Hanyi, Ai, Hao, Xu, Guohua, Chen, Yanshan, Ma, Lena Q
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accumulation; Agricultural production; Arsenates; Arsenic; Crop production; Crops; Food production; Food safety; Molecular chains; Molecules; Phosphate transporter; Phosphates; Phosphorus; Plant growth; Soil permeability; Tobacco; Transgenic plants; Translocation; Xylem
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b06674

Phosphorus is an important macronutrient for plant growth and is acquired by plants mainly as phosphate (P). Phosphate transporters (Phts) are responsible for P and arsenate (AsV) uptake in plants including arsenic-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata. P. vittata is efficient in AsV uptake and P utilization, but the molecular mechanism of its P uptake is largely unknown. In this study, a P. vittata Pht, PvPht1;2 , was cloned and transformed into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). In hydroponic experiments, all transgenic lines displayed markedly higher P content and better growth than wild type, suggesting that PvPht1;2 mediated P uptake in plants. In addition, expressing PvPht1;2 also increased the shoot/root 32P ratio by 69–92% and enhanced xylem sap P by 46–62%, indicating that PvPht1;2 also mediated P translocation in plants. Unlike many Phts permeable to AsV, PvPht1;2 showed little ability to transport AsV. In soil experiments, PvPht1;2 also significantly increased shoot biomass without elevating As accumulation in PvPht1;2 transgenic tobacco. Taken together, our results demonstrated that PvPht1;2 is a specific P transporter responsible for P acquisition and translocation in plants. We envisioned that PvPht1;2 can enhance crop P acquisition without impacting AsV uptake, thereby increasing crop production without compromising food safety.