Cultivar-specific cadmium uptake strategies in flax – a hyperaccumulating plant

Abstract

‘Lvbao-701’ is a cultivar of Chinese flowering cabbage (Brassica parachinensis) that exhibits low cadmium (Cd) accumulation and high Cd tolerance. In this study, this cultivar was compared with a high-Cd accumulating cultivar, ‘Chixin-4’, to characterize the mechanisms influencing Cd accumulation in B. parachinensis. Root cell walls were isolated by dissolving the cytoplasm with an organic solvent, and root Cd and phytochelatin (PC) contents were analyzed. In addition, a PC synthase gene fragment was cloned and expressed under Cd stress conditions. The proportions of Cd bound to root cell walls were higher in the ‘Lvbao-701’ plants (68.32%–76.80%) than in the ‘Chixin-4’ plants (35.36%–54.18%) after exposure to Cd stress. The proportions of Cd bound to root cell walls measured using cell walls isolated with a non-destructive method were higher than those obtained using a conventional method that required grinding and centrifugation. Exposure to Cd stress induced the PC production and resulted in higher PC contents in the ‘Lvbao-701’ plants than in the ‘Chixin-4’ plants. Cloning and expression analysis of a B. parachinensis PC synthase cDNA fragment indicated that PC synthase gene expression was induced by Cd and occurred mainly in the roots of both ‘Lvbao-701’ and ‘Chixin-4’ plants. However, the PC synthase gene expression level was higher in the ‘Lvbao-701’ roots than in the ‘Chixin-4’ roots. Therefore, a higher abundance of Cd in the root cell walls of ‘Lvbao-701’ and up-regulated PC production in the roots are probably the main reasons why ‘Lvbao-701’ exhibits lower Cd translocation to the shoots and higher tolerance to Cd than ‘Chixin-4’.