Li Qiao, Niu Chunda, Guo Jiaxu, Chen Geng, Li Jingti, Sun Lei, Li Wei, Li Tianpu
College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China.
College of Resources and Environment, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China.
Sci Rep. 2025 Apr 1;15(1):11156. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-94385-4.
Cadmium (Cd) contamination in maize poses a significant threat to global food security due to its persistent accumulation in crops. In this study, the effects of foliar application of glycerol on Cd accumulation in maize seedlings were studied. Our results demonstrated that under Cd treatment, biomass, total chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) activity, Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) activity, sucrose levels, and carbohydrate levels in maize seedlings significantly increased after glycerol application. HO and MDA levels in both the aboveground and belowground portions of the maize plants significantly decreased. Moreover, superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) activities in the aboveground parts significantly increased. Notably, maize plants used glycerol to chelate Cd, which was fixed within the cell wall and soluble fraction of the roots, reducing Cd transport to the shoots and significantly lowering the Cd transport coefficient (TF). Transcriptomic data suggested that glycerol-mediated alleviation of Cd stress in maize seedlings may be associated with phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, plant-pathogen interactions and photosynthesis pathways. These molecular patterns align with the observed physiological improvements. This study provided a novel approach to effectively alleviate excessive Cd in maize and suggested possible applications of glycerol in cultivating plant resistance to heavy metals.
玉米中的镉（Cd）污染因其在作物中的持续积累对全球粮食安全构成重大威胁。在本研究中，研究了叶面喷施甘油对玉米幼苗镉积累的影响。我们的结果表明，在镉处理下，喷施甘油后玉米幼苗的生物量、总叶绿素含量、净光合速率（Pn）、1,5-二磷酸核酮糖羧化酶/加氧酶（RuBisCO）活性、磷酸烯醇式丙酮酸羧化酶（PEPC）活性、蔗糖水平和碳水化合物水平显著增加。玉米植株地上部和地下部的过氧化氢（HO）和丙二醛（MDA）水平显著降低。此外，地上部分的超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、过氧化物酶（POD）和过氧化氢酶（CAT）活性显著增加。值得注意的是，玉米植株利用甘油螯合镉，镉固定在根的细胞壁和可溶性部分，减少了镉向地上部的转运，并显著降低了镉转运系数（TF）。转录组数据表明，甘油介导的玉米幼苗镉胁迫缓解可能与苯丙烷生物合成、植物-病原体相互作用和光合作用途径有关。这些分子模式与观察到的生理改善一致。本研究提供了一种有效缓解玉米中过量镉积累的新方法，并提出了甘油在培育植物重金属抗性方面的可能应用。
