PRELIMINARY-RESULTS ON CADMIUM AND MERCURY TOLERANCE MECHANISMS IN NICOTIANA SP

The response to cadmium and mercury have been investigated in Nicotian a sp. cell suspension cultures. In cadmium-treated cells the presence of cadmium-induced peptides were seen. These peptides with an apparent molecular weight of approximately 10000 Da are probably constituted b y phytochelatines (PCs), gluthatione derivative peptides, that general ly have an important role in the cadmium tolerance mechanisms of most higher plants. On the contrary the presence of mercury-induced peptide s is yet less clear due to analytical problems. The improvement of the analytical methodology will be the next step in our research. (C) 199 8 Elsevier Science B.V.