Molecular and physiological analysis of Arabidopsis mutants exhibiting altered sensitivities to aluminium

Arabidopsis mutants with altered Al sensitivities have been isolated with the goal of identifying genes important for Al resistance and toxicity. By screening in a high-Al environment, seven Al-resistant mutants (air) were isolated. The air mutants were semi-dominant and constitute at least two unique loci in Arabidopsis. Nine Al-sensitive mutants (als) were also isolated. Complementation analysis revealed that of the nine als mutants, eight represent unique loci, indicating that Al sensitivity is genetically complex in Arabidopsis. The characterization of mutants with altered Al sensitivity will provide greater insights into the mechanisms of Al toxicity and resistance on a molecular and biochemical level.