Disabling one rice protein keeps arsenic out of the grain
Wang L, Guo R, Lei G, Shen R, Zhu X
Crop Improvement
Rice grown in arsenic-tainted paddies — a widespread problem across South and Southeast Asia — absorbs the toxin into its grain, and this protein is part of why; blocking it keeps arsenic locked in the roots where it can't reach the food.
Researchers found a protein in rice that acts like a shuttle, helping arsenic travel from the roots up into the rest of the plant. When they used gene-editing tools to knock out that protein, arsenic got stuck in the roots instead of moving to the shoots and, ultimately, the grain we eat. This opens the door to breeding rice varieties that don't accumulate arsenic in the parts humans consume, which matters most in regions where rice is a dietary staple and soils are polluted.
Key Findings
OsHIPP36 is a plasma-membrane protein whose expression is strongly induced by arsenic(III) stress in rice roots.
CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of OsHIPP36 increased arsenic retention in roots and significantly decreased arsenic translocation to shoots.
This is the first study to demonstrate that any HIPP-family protein influences arsenic(III) tolerance and accumulation in a plant.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists discovered a protein in rice called OsHIPP36 that moves arsenic from roots into the rest of the plant. Knocking out this protein caused rice to trap arsenic in its roots rather than sending it to the edible parts, offering a potential strategy to breed safer rice in arsenic-contaminated soils.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Metallochaperone Protein OsHIPP36 Is Involved in Arsenic(III) Tolerance and Translocation in Rice (Oryza sativa L.).
Arsenic (As) contamination in agricultural soils threatens crop production and food safety due to its toxicity. Heavy metal-associated isoprenylated plant proteins (HIPPs) act as metallochaperone i...
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