The ethylene response factor gene, ThDRE1A, is involved in abscisic acid- and ethylene-mediated cadmium accumulation in Tamarix hispida

Abstract

Tamarix hispida is highly tolerant to salt, drought and heavy metal stress and is a potential material for the remediation of cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soil under harsh conditions. In this study, T. hispida growth and chlorophyll content decreased, whereas flavonoid and carotenoid contents increased under long-term Cd stress (25 d). The aboveground components of T. hispida were collected for RNA-seq to investigate the mechanism of Cd accumulation. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in plant hormone-related pathways. Exogenous hormone treatment and determination of Cd2+ levels showed that ethylene (ETH) and abscisic acid (ABA) antagonists regulate Cd accumulation in T. hispida. Twenty-five transcription factors were identified as upstream regulators of hormone-related pathways. ThDRE1A, which was previously identified as an important regulatory factor, was selected for further analysis. The results indicated that ThABAH2.5 and ThACCO3.1 were direct target genes of ThDRE1A. The determination of Cd2+, ABA, and ETH levels indicated that ThDRE1A plays an important role in Cd accumulation through the antagonistic regulation of ABA and ETH. In conclusion, these results reveal the molecular mechanism underlying Cd accumulation in plants and identify candidate genes for further research.