Cadmium stress induced hma expression patterns in nicotiana tabaccum, a ravnjak genotype from herzegovina- prelimary results

MSc student: Emina Zahirovic

Mentor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ragab Abdel-Gawad

Nicotiana tabacum, one of the most grown industrial plants worldwide, is proven to have a high content of heavy metals. It’s not only affecting its growth, development, and economic benefit but also threatens public health fatally. Large amounts of Cd (cadmium) have been released into the environment by both natural and anthropogenic process, which has been drawing great attention worldwide. In the Cd-contaminated agricultural environment, the ionic cadmium (Cd2+) can be readily taken up by plants, leading to phytotoxicity and posing a potential risk to human health through the food chain. Cadmium related stress causes the production of Reactive Oxygen Species, thereby evoking the plant defense mechanism to produce several antioxidants enzymes. Tobacco phytochelatin synthase (NtPCS1) and PCS1 (a PCs-biosynthetic gene) play important roles in cadmium and arsenic tolerance and in early plant development in tobacco. This study showes different expression levels and accumulation potentials of Ravnjak genotype in comparison to local tobacco varieties.