Arabidopsis ACBP1 overexpressors are Pb(II)-tolerant and accumulate Pb(II).

In our recent paper in the Plant Journal, we demonstrated that Arabidopsis thaliana acyl-CoA-binding protein ACBP1 binds lead [Pb(II)], its mRNA is induced by Pb(II)-treatment and transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing ACBP1 are conferred Pb(II) tolerance and accumulate Pb(II). Our results suggest that ACBP1 overexpressors are potentially useful for applications in phytoremediation. Since very few plant proteins that bind and accumulate Pb(II) have been identified, our findings provide a feasible method in phytoremediating Pb(II).