PdZIP8 geninin fonksiyonel karakterizasyonu ve arabidopsis Thaliana'da çinko alımında rolü

Zinc deficiency is the second prevalent microelement deficiency in the world following iron deficiency. It is the most prevalent microelement deficiency in Turkey. This deficiency is one of the significant abiotic stress factors that cause serious health issues and deaths in humans and animals, while also restricting growth and agricultural production in plants. Zinc deficiency leads to critical decreases in the yield and quality of crops. Moreover, almost half of the world's soils are deficient in zinc. In some cases, even when the zinc content in the soil is sufficient, soil characteristics can prevent plants from absorbing zinc effectively and in the required amount. For these reasons, elucidating the zinc uptake mechanism in plants and identifying the genes associated with zinc absorption has great importance. This study aimed to reveal the zinc uptake function of the ZIP8 gene, identified as a zinc-iron regulator in Puccinellia distans. It has been demonstrated that zinc mutant yeast cells containing the PdZIP8 gene can tolerate and survive in zinc deficient conditions with 200 µM EDTA and 20 mM EGTA, while cells lacking the gene cannot grow under these conditions. Additionally, phenotypic analyses conducted in Arabidopsis thaliana lines overexpressing the PdZIP8, along with RT-qPCR and ICP-MS results, further emphasize the association of the PdZIP8 with zinc uptake. It is anticipated that the characterization of the studied gene will be used in various breeding programs aimed at enhancing zinc content in plants.