The cell wall functions in plant heavy metal response

Nonessential metals (e.g., cadmium (II), etc) and essential heavy metals (e.g., copper (II), etc) are both toxic for plants at high concentrations. The plant cell wall, which consists of pectin, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and proteins, acts as the first barrier for heavy metal ions to enter th...

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Main Authors: Zhuowei Cheng, Chenyu Wang, Fan Tang, Yifeng Zhou, Cheng Zhu, Yanfei Ding
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325006621
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author Zhuowei Cheng
Chenyu Wang
Fan Tang
Yifeng Zhou
Cheng Zhu
Yanfei Ding
author_facet Zhuowei Cheng
Chenyu Wang
Fan Tang
Yifeng Zhou
Cheng Zhu
Yanfei Ding
author_sort Zhuowei Cheng
collection DOAJ
description Nonessential metals (e.g., cadmium (II), etc) and essential heavy metals (e.g., copper (II), etc) are both toxic for plants at high concentrations. The plant cell wall, which consists of pectin, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and proteins, acts as the first barrier for heavy metal ions to enter the cytoplasm. The binding of heavy metal ions within cell wall components is largely determined by the negative charges of functional groups. The cell wall interacts with heavy metal ions through three main mechanisms: ion exchange, chelation models and cell wall remodeling. Various signaling molecules such as nitric oxide and salicylic acid have been implicated in the regulation of cell wall components. An increasing number of reports indicate that microRNAs can target genes related with cell wall synthesis and modification, thereby mediating heavy metal fixation within the cell wall. In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding the biosynthesis, modifications, and functions of cell wall components under heavy metal stress. We also discuss the interaction mechanisms and the signaling pathways involved in the cell wall-mediated fixation of heavy metals, offering valuable insights into plant heavy metal stress tolerance mechanisms and providing strategic avenues for mitigating heavy metal pollution.
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publishDate 2025-07-01
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series Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
spelling doaj-art-d8cfb6b17b404ffdb7210f23fc3f783f2025-08-20T03:24:33ZengElsevierEcotoxicology and Environmental Safety0147-65132025-07-0129911832610.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118326The cell wall functions in plant heavy metal responseZhuowei Cheng0Chenyu Wang1Fan Tang2Yifeng Zhou3Cheng Zhu4Yanfei Ding5Key Laboratory of Specialty Agri-Product Quality and Hazard Controlling Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, ChinaKey Laboratory of Specialty Agri-Product Quality and Hazard Controlling Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, ChinaKey Laboratory of Specialty Agri-Product Quality and Hazard Controlling Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, ChinaKey Laboratory of Specialty Agri-Product Quality and Hazard Controlling Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, ChinaKey Laboratory of Specialty Agri-Product Quality and Hazard Controlling Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, ChinaCorresponding author.; Key Laboratory of Specialty Agri-Product Quality and Hazard Controlling Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, ChinaNonessential metals (e.g., cadmium (II), etc) and essential heavy metals (e.g., copper (II), etc) are both toxic for plants at high concentrations. The plant cell wall, which consists of pectin, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and proteins, acts as the first barrier for heavy metal ions to enter the cytoplasm. The binding of heavy metal ions within cell wall components is largely determined by the negative charges of functional groups. The cell wall interacts with heavy metal ions through three main mechanisms: ion exchange, chelation models and cell wall remodeling. Various signaling molecules such as nitric oxide and salicylic acid have been implicated in the regulation of cell wall components. An increasing number of reports indicate that microRNAs can target genes related with cell wall synthesis and modification, thereby mediating heavy metal fixation within the cell wall. In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding the biosynthesis, modifications, and functions of cell wall components under heavy metal stress. We also discuss the interaction mechanisms and the signaling pathways involved in the cell wall-mediated fixation of heavy metals, offering valuable insights into plant heavy metal stress tolerance mechanisms and providing strategic avenues for mitigating heavy metal pollution.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325006621Cell wallPolysaccharidesHeavy metalAccumulationMechanism
spellingShingle Zhuowei Cheng
Chenyu Wang
Fan Tang
Yifeng Zhou
Cheng Zhu
Yanfei Ding
The cell wall functions in plant heavy metal response
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Cell wall
Polysaccharides
Heavy metal
Accumulation
Mechanism
title The cell wall functions in plant heavy metal response
title_full The cell wall functions in plant heavy metal response
title_fullStr The cell wall functions in plant heavy metal response
title_full_unstemmed The cell wall functions in plant heavy metal response
title_short The cell wall functions in plant heavy metal response
title_sort cell wall functions in plant heavy metal response
topic Cell wall
Polysaccharides
Heavy metal
Accumulation
Mechanism
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325006621
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