Zhang Mengxia, Dong Chunjuan
State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Jun 17;26(12):5812. doi: 10.3390/ijms26125812.
Cadmium (Cd) stress poses significant threats to vegetable crops, impacting their growth, physiological processes, and safety as part of the human food chain. This review systematically summarizes the latest advances in the molecular mechanisms of vegetable crops' resistance to Cd stress. First, physiological and biochemical responses are outlined, including growth inhibition, impaired photosynthesis, oxidative stress, disrupted nutrient absorption, altered phytohormone levels, and gene expression changes. Next, key molecular mechanisms are discussed, focusing on the roles of transporter-related genes (e.g., , , ), transcription factors (e.g., , , ), enzyme-related genes (e.g., , ), microRNAs (e.g., ), and potential functional genes in Cd uptake, translocation, and detoxification. Additionally, the regulatory roles of phytohormones and their analogues (e.g., brassinosteroids, gibberellin, salicylic acid) in mitigating Cd toxicity are analyzed, highlighting their involvement in antioxidant defense, gene regulation, and stress signaling pathways. Finally, future research directions are proposed, emphasizing species-specific defense mechanisms, root hair-specific Cd exclusion mechanisms, and interdisciplinary approaches integrating AI and microbiome manipulation. This review provides a comprehensive reference for enhancing Cd stress resistance in vegetable crops and promoting safe crop production.
镉（Cd）胁迫对蔬菜作物构成重大威胁，影响其生长、生理过程以及作为人类食物链一部分的安全性。本综述系统总结了蔬菜作物抗镉胁迫分子机制的最新进展。首先，概述了生理和生化反应，包括生长抑制、光合作用受损、氧化应激、养分吸收紊乱、植物激素水平改变以及基因表达变化。其次，讨论了关键分子机制，重点关注转运蛋白相关基因（如……）、转录因子（如……）、酶相关基因（如……）、微小RNA（如……）以及潜在功能基因在镉吸收、转运和解毒中的作用。此外，分析了植物激素及其类似物（如油菜素内酯、赤霉素、水杨酸）在减轻镉毒性方面的调节作用，强调了它们在抗氧化防御、基因调控和胁迫信号通路中的参与。最后，提出了未来的研究方向，强调物种特异性防御机制、根毛特异性镉排斥机制以及整合人工智能和微生物群落操纵的跨学科方法。本综述为增强蔬菜作物的镉胁迫抗性和促进安全作物生产提供了全面的参考。
