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Cadmium (Cd) pollution is one of the major threats in agricultural production, and can cause oxidative damage and growth limitation in plants. MicroRNA398 (miR398) is involved in plant resistance to different stresses, and the post-transcriptional regulation of miR398 on CSDs plays a key role. Here, we report that miR398 was down-regulated in tomato in response to Cd stress. Simultaneously, CSD1 and SOD were up-regulated, with CSD2 unchanged, suggesting CSD1 is involved in miR398-induced regulation under Cd stress. In addition, the role of miR398 in Cd tolerance in tomato was evaluated using a transgenic line overexpressing MIR398 (miR398#OE) in which the down-expression of miR398 was disrupted. The results showed that Cd stress induced more significant growth inhibition, oxidative damage, and antioxidant enzymes disorder in miR398#OE than that in wild type (WT). Moreover, higher Cd concentration in the shoot and xylem sap, and net Cd influx rate, were observed in miR398#OE, which could be due to the increased Cd uptake genes (IRT1, IRT2, and NRAMP2) and decreased Cd compartmentalization gene HMA3. Overall, our results indicate that down-regulated miR398 plays a protective role in tomato against Cd stress by modulating the activity of antioxidant enzymes and Cd uptake and translocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) pollution is one of the major threats in agricultural production, and can cause oxidative damage and growth limitation in plants. MicroRNA398 (miR398) is involved in plant resistance to different stresses, and the post-transcriptional regulation of miR398 on CSDs plays a key role. Here, we report that miR398 was down-regulated in tomato in response to Cd stress. Simultaneously, CSD1 and SOD were up-regulated, with CSD2 unchanged, suggesting CSD1 is involved in miR398-induced regulation under Cd stress. In addition, the role of miR398 in Cd tolerance in tomato was evaluated using a transgenic line overexpressing MIR398 (miR398#OE) in which the down-expression of miR398 was disrupted. The results showed that Cd stress induced more significant growth inhibition, oxidative damage, and antioxidant enzymes disorder in miR398#OE than that in wild type (WT). Moreover, higher Cd concentration in the shoot and xylem sap, and net Cd influx rate, were observed in miR398#OE, which could be due to the increased Cd uptake genes (IRT1, IRT2, and NRAMP2) and decreased Cd compartmentalization gene HMA3. Overall, our results indicate that down-regulated miR398 plays a protective role in tomato against Cd stress by modulating the activity of antioxidant enzymes and Cd uptake and translocation.

In this study, hydroponic experiments were conducted to investigate the role of Fe-Mn plaque and Arthrobacter echigonensis MN1405 under different solution Cd levels (0, 2 and 50 mg L −1 ) on Cd uptake and translocation by Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. ( P. acinosa ). Results showed Cd accumulated by P.acinosa without plaque were mostly distributed in root surface, indicating that an exclusion strategy for Cd tolerance. The formation of Fe-Mn plaque could contribute to the increase in the Cd tolerance of P.acinosa , promotion of the growth, increase in the enhancement of Cd translocation. Among all the treatments, Fe-Mn plaque treatments inoculated with MN1405 accumulated the maximum DCB-Cd (46.61 ± 6.36 g kg −1 ) and had the highest value of TF aeria (2.14 ± 0.01) at 50 mg L −1 and 2 mg L −1 solution for Cd, respectively, demonstrating the greatest capacity to accumulate and translocate Cd. The uptake of Cd by P. acinosa in plaque treatments may result in the increase of soluble sugar and decrease of soluble protein synthesized from roots which involved in Cd detoxification and thus diminished the negative effects of Cd to some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) pollution poses a risk to human health for its accumulation in soil and crops, but this can be alleviated by calcium (Ca) addition. However, its mechanism remains unclear yet. In this study, Arabidopsis thaliana was used to explore the alleviating effects of Ca on Cd toxicity and its specific function during uptake, upward-translocation, and distribution of Cd. Supplementing plants with 5 mM CaCl 2 alleviated the intoxication symptoms caused by 50 μM CdCl 2 , such as smaller leaves, early bolting and root browning. Ca addition decreased uptake of Cd, possibly by reducing the physical adsorption of Cd since the root cell membrane was well maintained and lignin deposition was decreased as well, and by decreasing symplastic Cd transport. Expression of the genes involved ( AtZIP2 and AtZIP4 ) was also decreased. In addition, Ca accumulated in the plant shoot to help facilitating the upward-translocation of Cd, with evidence of higher translocation factor and expression of genes that were involved in Ca transport ( AtPCR1 ) and Cd xylem loading ( AtHMA2 and AtHMA4 ). Dithizone-staining of Cd in leaves showed that in Cd+Ca-treated plants, Ca addition initially protected the leaf stomata by preventing Cd from entering guard cells, but with prolonged Cd treatment facilitated the Cd accumulation around trichomes and maybe its excretion. We conclude that Ca promotes the upward-translocation of Cd and changes its distribution in leaves. The results may have relevance for bioremediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-resistant bacteria can reduce Cd accumulation in plants, but mechanisms underlying this effect are poorly understood. In this study, a highly effective Cd-resistant WRS8 strain was obtained from the rhizoshere soil of Triticum aestivum L. Yangmai-13 and identified as Pseudomonas taiwanensis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Strain WRS8 was investigated for its effects on Cd availability and wheat tissue Cd contents and the related mechanisms using a hydroponic culture experiment. In strain WRS8-inoculated solution, the Cd concentration reduced and the pH and cell-adsorbed Cd increased with time. Strain WRS8 increased the wheat root and above-ground tissue dry weights by 11–36% compared to the controls. In strain WRS8-inoculated wheat plants, the Cd contents of the roots and above-ground tissues decreased by 78–85% and 88–94% and the Cd bioconcentration and translocation factors decreased by 78–85% and 46–58% at days 3 and 10, respectively, compared with the controls. The root surface-adsorbed Cd contents increased by 99–121% in the WRS8 strain-inoculated wheat plants at days 3 and 10 compared to the controls. Furthermore, strain WRS8 colonized the wheat root surfaces and interiors and reduced the expression levels of the LCT1 and HMA2 genes involved in Cd accumulation and transport in wheat roots by 46% and 30%, respectively, compared to the controls. In the Cd-contaminated soils, strain WRS8 significantly reduced the available Cd content by 20–24% and increased the pH compared to the controls. These findings showed the important role of strain WRS8 in reducing solution and soil Cd availability and suggested that strain WRS8 reduced the wheat tissue Cd accumulation by increasing root surface Cd adsorption and decreasing wheat root Cd uptake and transport-related gene expression and may provide a new and effective wheat rhizobacteria-enhanced approach for reducing wheat Cd uptake in Cd-polluted environments. Image 1 • Cd-resistant Pseudomonas taiwanensis WRS8 was obtained from wheat rhizosphere soil. • WRS8 immobilized solution Cd by increasing pH and cell and floccules adsorption. • WRS8 significantly increased the biomass and reduced Cd uptake of wheat seedlings. • WRS8 increased wheat root surface-adsorbed Cd and reduced Cd translocation. • WRS8 reduced expression of Cd uptake and transport-related genes in wheat roots. Strain WRS8 decreased wheat tissue Cd uptake through increasing root surface Cd adsorption and decreasing root Cd accumulation and transport-related gene expression levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]