Chinese Bulletin of Botany ›› 2019, Vol. 54 ›› Issue (6): 786-796.DOI: 10.11983/CBB19045

• SPECIAL TOPICS • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Advances in Studies on the COPT Proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana

Hui Wang1,Jinjin Li2,Jinyu Xu1,Peng Liu1,Haiyan Zhang1,*   

  1. 1 Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
    2 Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
  • Received:2019-03-13 Accepted:2019-06-18 Online:2019-11-01 Published:2020-07-09
  • Contact: Haiyan Zhang

Abstract: Copper (Cu) is an essential trace element in plants and is involved in many physiological and biochemical reactions as a cofactor of various enzymes. Cu deficiency and excess can affect the normal growth and development, so plants have developed sophisticated regulatory networks to strictly control Cu content. The copper transporter COPT, having high affinity with Cu can regulate the absorption and transport of Cu, and plays an important role in maintaining Cu homeostasis. COPT proteins are involved in different processes of Cu transport, such as uptake of Cu from the external environment, export of Cu from organelles, transport of Cu over long distances, and mobilization and redistribution of Cu between different organs. In addition, COPT proteins play an important role in maintaining homeostasis of other ions, regulating the circadian clock, involving in synthesis of plant hormones and perception of hormone signals. Here we summarize the recent advances in the expression and localization, regulatory mechanisms, and biological functions of COPT proteins in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

Key words: copper transporter, COPT, Cu homeostasis, Cu absorption, redistribution