Expression Differences for Genes Involved in Lignin, Glutathione and Sulphate Metabolism in Response to Cadmium in Arabidopsis thaliana and the Related Zn/Cd-Hyperaccumulator Thlasi caerulescens

The responses of roots of Arabidopsis and Thlaspi caerulescens to cadmium (Cd) excess and compared to transcript profiles with that caused by alterations in zinc (Zn) supply were examined. The microarray experiment was performed using Agilent Arabidopsis2 60-mer oligonucleotide microarrays representing ~80% of the Arabidopsis transcriptome. It was indicted that the Cd had little effect on the regulation of the metal homeostatis mechanisms in the plant. It was indicated that a number of genes were induced by Cd exposure in Arabidopsis and were constitutively highly exposed in T. caerulescens. It was concluded that the genes found to be differently expressed within the investigation were expected to be involved in Cd tolerance, rather than Cd hyperaccumulation, because of T. caerulescens La Calamine (LC) was not a very efficient hyperaccumulator of Cd.