Target plant

Gene

Product/source

Performance

Reference

Phytoextraction efficiency

Tobacco, rapeseed

MT2

Metallothionein―human

Enhanced Cd tolerance

[126]

Tobacco, cauliflower

MT1

Metallothionein―mouse

Tolerated 200 mM CdCl₂

Tolerated 400 mM CdCl₂ in hydroponic medium

[127]

[128]

Arabidopsis

PsMTA

Metallothionein―pea

8× higher Cu accumulation

[129]

Indian mustard

gshl

γ-Glutamyl-cystein (E. coli)

3 - 5× higher γ -ECS and GSH levels and 90% higher shoot Cd concentrations

[130]

Poplar

gshI

γ-Glu-cys synthetase (E. coli)

Cd tolerance and increase of total sulfur in shoot

[131]

Phytovolatilization efficiency

Arabidopsis

merB

Organomecurial lyase-bacteria

Volatilization of up to 763 ng Hg (0) min⁻¹∙g⁻¹

[132]

Yellow poplar

merApe9

Hg(II) reductase- mutagenized merA

Volatilization of 10× more mercury than WT plants

[133]

Indian mustard

SMT

Selenocysteine methyltransferase A. bisulcatus

Volatilized 2.5× more Se than WT plants when supplied with selenate

[134]

Phytodegdration potential

Tobacco

Onr

PETN reductase

Enhanced detoxification of nitroglycerin

[135]

Poplar

gshl

y-ECS

Elevated herbicide tolerance and rapid herbicide degradation

[136]

Indian mustard

gshI and gshII

y-ECS and GS

Enhanced tolerance and 2 - 12× increase

in nonprotein thiol level

[137]

Rice, Potato

P450CYP

Mammalian cytochrome

Enhanced detoxification and cross tolerance toward several herbicides

[138] [139]