ARS | Publication request: Identification and functional expression of ZIP1 transporter protein in Triticum dicoccoides

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: March 8, 2008
Publication Date: July 2, 2008
Citation: Durmaz, E., Coruh, C., Grusak, M.A., Saranga, Y., Fahima, T., Ozturk, L., Cakmak, I., Budak, H. 2008. Identification and functional expression of ZIP1 transporter protein in Triticum dicoccoides [abstract]. Proceedings, International Durum Wheat Symposium, June 30-July 3, 2008, Bologna, Italy. p. 193.

Technical Abstract: Zinc (Zn) deficiency is a common problem, especially in cereal-growing areas, leading to severe decreases in grain yield and nutritional quality. Among the cereal species, durum wheat is the most sensitive crop to Zn deficiency. One major reason for this high sensitivity of durum wheat is its poor capacity for Zn uptake by its roots. Over 25 ZIP family members [ZRT1 (Zinc-Regulated Transporter) from yeast and IRT1 (Iron-Regulated Transporter) from Arabidopsis)] have been identified and were classified into two subfamilies based on their conserved amino acid similarities. Although there have been many years of investigations into the ZIP family of metal transporter proteins, to our knowledge there is no report for identification and characterization of these gene family members in Triticum dicoccoides, a wild progenitor of wheat. Therefore, we were interested in the identification and characterization of Zn transporter proteins in wild emmer wheat under varying levels of Zn-deficient conditions. A cloned full-length cDNA has shown significant sequence similarity with ZIP1 in cultivated wheat and designated as TdZIP1. The expression pattern of this gene was confirmed by Northern blot analysis and quantified by qRT-PCR in roots; up-regulation was observed under only Zn-deficient conditions. The identified protein was analysed further at the structural level. Functional complementation assay indicated that TdZIP1, under the control of constitutively expressed yeast promoter TEF (translational elongation factor 1), was able to restore growth of the zrt1, zrt3, and zrt1zrt2 zinc-uptake-defective Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. This demonstrates that TdZIP1 is capable of transporting Zn.