Cysteine Synthase Overexpression in Tobacco Confers Tolerance to Sulfur-Containing Environmental Pollutants

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Abstract
Cysteine (Cys) synthase [O-acetyl-l-Ser(thiol)-lyase, EC 4.2.99.8; CSase] is responsible for the final step in biosynthesis of Cys. Transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum; F1) plants with enhanced CSase activities in the cytosol and in the chloroplasts were generated by cross-fertilization of two transformants expressing cytosolic CSase or chloroplastic CSase. The F1transgenic plants were highly tolerant to toxic sulfur dioxide and sulfite. Upon fumigation with 0.1 μL L−1 sulfur dioxide, the Cys and glutathione contents in leaves of F1 plants were increased significantly, but not in leaves of non-transformed control plants. Furthermore, the leaves of F1 plants exhibited the increased resistance to paraquat, a herbicide generating active oxygen species.