Mutation in Affects Cadmium and Micronutrient Metal Accumulation in Rice.

Micronutrient metals, such as Mn, Cu, Fe, and Zn, are essential heavy metals for plant growth and development, while Cd is a nonessential heavy metal that is highly toxic to both plants and humans. Our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying Cd and micronutrient metal accumulation in plants remains incomplete. Here, we show that , an -like () family gene in , is preferentially expressed in the root and encodes a protein localized to the cell membrane. The mutation reduces both the uptake and the root-to-shoot translocation of Cd in rice plants. Additionally, the accumulation of micronutrient metals, including Mn, Cu, and Fe, was lower in mutants than in the wildtype plants under normal growth conditions. Moreover, the mutation affects the expression of several heavy metal transporter genes. Protein interaction analyses reveal that rice FWL proteins interact with themselves and one another, and with several membrane microdomain marker proteins. Our results suggest that is involved in Cd and micronutrient metal accumulation in rice. Additionally, rice FWL proteins may form oligomers and some of them may be located in membrane microdomains.