The Nramp Family

This book is the first comprehensive volume on the "Nramp family", highlighting the physiological importance of Nramp proteins as metal transporters. The molecular knowledge of these membrane proteins is presented from an evolutionary perspective, considering Nramp cellular function and mechanism of transport in key model organisms. The pathological significance of Nramp genetic polymorphism is discussed with emphasis on metal homeostasis and microbial infection. The chapters were contributed by leading investigators, providing a timely state of the art book in this rapidly growing field. The Nramp Family will be useful to a broad community of scientists interested in metal transport and molecular biology. It will be of interest to the research audience in the broad fields of metal ions and molecular medicine.

This volume of Current Topics in Membranes focuses on metal transmembrane transporters and pumps, a recently discovered family of membrane proteins with many important roles in the physiology of living organisms. The book summarizes the most recent advances in the field of metal ion transport and provides a broad overview of the major classes of transporters involved in homeostasis of heavy metals. Various families of the transporters and metal specificities are discussed with the focus on the structural and mechanistic aspects of their function and regulation. The reader will access information obtained through a variety of approaches ranging from X-ray crystallography to cell biology and bioinformatics, which have been applied to transporters identified in diverse biological systems, such as pathogenic bacteria, plants, humans and others. Field is cutting-edge and a lot of the information is new to research community Wide breadth of topic coverage Contributors of high renown and expertise

This edited book stands as a one place knowledge hub for plant metal(loid) transporters. The book comprehensively covers holistic aspect of metal(loid) transporters involved in uptake and translocation of essential as well as toxic metal(loid)s. Essential and beneficial metal(loid)s are required in every biological process for normal plant growth and development, however in excess they are toxic. There are toxic metal(loid)s also whose accumulation in plants interferes with normal cellular functioning and hampers growth of plants. Hence, metal(loid) uptake and accumulation in plants is a highly regulated phenomenon involving the role of several transporters, enzymes, metabolites, transcription factors and post translational modifications. The book contains chapters from the experts and the contents of the book are presented in simple language and represented through beautiful and scientifically informative figures and tables. This book is of interest to teachers, researchers, doctoral and graduate students working in the area of plant physiology, environmental biotechnology, plant biotechnology metal(loid) stress, phytoremediation and crop biofortification.

Table of contents

Metals and Metalloids in Soil-Plant-Water Systems: Phytophysiology and Remediation Techniques examines the impact of metal/metalloid contamination on the plant lifecycle, along with microbes present in soil. Highlighting uptake and translocation, the book also examines antioxidant, photosynthesis and growth characteristics of plants grown in metal contaminated soil. Beginning with an introduction to different sources of soil and water pollution, chapters assess the environmental cytotoxicity pollution impact on plants, as well as how the generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in plant tissues is affected. The book also discusses various soil remediation methodologies, including the potential applications of metal oxidizing microbes and nanomaterials. This is an essential resource for researchers and students interested in plant physiology, soil science, environmental science and agriculture. Provides a comprehensive overview of metal and metalloids speciation, fractionation, bioavailability and transfer to plants Analyzes properties of plants grown with excess metals/metalloids in soils Highlights applications of biochar and other biostimulants for sustainable metal/metalloid remediation

Horticultural crops are an excellent source of vitamins, antioxidants, and fibers that play an important role in human health. The discovery of modern genomic tools, the continuous generation of genomic data, and the application of comparative and functional genomics are high importance innovations with numerous applications in crop breeding. The utilization of all these new techniques in combination with the analysis of genomic data using bioinformatics tools, contribute to a better understanding of the function of various agronomic traits of interest as well as horticultural crops breeding. Over the last few years, novel genome editing tools such as the CRISPR-Cas9, have been developed and revolutionized molecular technologies due to their simplicity, high efficiency, and specificity.

Cation Transporters in Plants presents expert information on the major cation transporters, along with developments of various new strategies to cope with the adverse effects of abiotic and biotic stresses. The book will serve as a very important repository for the scientist, researcher, academician and industrialist to enhance their knowledge about cation transport in plants. Further, applications listed in the book will facilitate future developments in crop designing strategies. This comprehensive resource provides an alternative strategy for abiotic and biotic stress management in agricultural and horticultural crops. In addition, it will further improve basic knowledge om the origin and mechanism of cation homeostasis and their role in developmental transition and stress regulation. Contains in-depth knowledge about various cation transporters in plants Provides information about important macro and micronutrient cation transporters and their applications in the agricultural and biotechnology sectors Facilitates agricultural scientists and industries in future crop designing strategies Provides an alternative strategy for abiotic and biotic stress management in agricultural and horticultural crops