Physiological regulation underlying the alleviation of cadmium stress in maize seedlings by exogenous glycerol
Abstract 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 treatme...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-04-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-94385-4 |
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| author | Qiao Li Chunda Niu Jiaxu Guo Geng Chen Jingti Li Lei Sun Wei Li Tianpu Li |
| author_facet | Qiao Li Chunda Niu Jiaxu Guo Geng Chen Jingti Li Lei Sun Wei Li Tianpu Li |
| author_sort | Qiao Li |
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| description | Abstract 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. H2O2 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. |
| format | Article |
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| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| spelling | doaj-art-92f9bb8bbd4c47efacf7fbab9a72cc2c2025-08-20T01:54:23ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-04-0115111610.1038/s41598-025-94385-4Physiological regulation underlying the alleviation of cadmium stress in maize seedlings by exogenous glycerolQiao Li0Chunda Niu1Jiaxu Guo2Geng Chen3Jingti Li4Lei Sun5Wei Li6Tianpu Li7College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural UniversityCollege of Resources and Environment, Northeast Agricultural UniversityCollege of Resources and Environment, Northeast Agricultural UniversityCollege of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural UniversityCollege of Resources and Environment, Northeast Agricultural UniversityCollege of Resources and Environment, Northeast Agricultural UniversityCollege of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural UniversityCollege of Arts and Sciences, Northeast Agricultural UniversityAbstract 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. H2O2 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.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-94385-4MaizeCadmium stressGlycerolPhysiological characteristicsTranscriptome |
| spellingShingle | Qiao Li Chunda Niu Jiaxu Guo Geng Chen Jingti Li Lei Sun Wei Li Tianpu Li Physiological regulation underlying the alleviation of cadmium stress in maize seedlings by exogenous glycerol Scientific Reports Maize Cadmium stress Glycerol Physiological characteristics Transcriptome |
| title | Physiological regulation underlying the alleviation of cadmium stress in maize seedlings by exogenous glycerol |
| title_full | Physiological regulation underlying the alleviation of cadmium stress in maize seedlings by exogenous glycerol |
| title_fullStr | Physiological regulation underlying the alleviation of cadmium stress in maize seedlings by exogenous glycerol |
| title_full_unstemmed | Physiological regulation underlying the alleviation of cadmium stress in maize seedlings by exogenous glycerol |
| title_short | Physiological regulation underlying the alleviation of cadmium stress in maize seedlings by exogenous glycerol |
| title_sort | physiological regulation underlying the alleviation of cadmium stress in maize seedlings by exogenous glycerol |
| topic | Maize Cadmium stress Glycerol Physiological characteristics Transcriptome |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-94385-4 |
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