Integration of Transcriptome and Metabolome Analyses Reveals the Mechanistic Basis for Cadmium Accumulation in Maize

Kaina Lin; Meng Zeng; Darron V Williams; Weimin Hu; Sergey Shabala; Meixue Zhou; Fangbin Cao

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2022.105484

Integration of Transcriptome and Metabolome Analyses Reveals the Mechanistic Basis for Cadmium Accumulation in Maize

iScience. 2022 Nov 3;25(12):105484. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105484. eCollection 2022 Dec 22.

Authors

Kaina Lin¹, Meng Zeng¹, Darron V Williams¹, Weimin Hu¹, Sergey Shabala^{2

3}, Meixue Zhou², Fangbin Cao¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
² Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.
³ International Research Centre for Environmental Membrane Biology, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China.

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) pollution in soil has become a major environmental issue worldwide. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of low grain-Cd accumulation (GCA) in maize is still largely unknown. Herein, we report the mechanistic basis for low GCA in maize by a multiomics approach. The low GCA genotype L63 showed normal vacuolar formation and a lower capacity of xylem loading of Cd than the high-accumulator L42 under Cd stress. Transcriptomic sequencing identified 84 low-GCA-associated genes which are mainly involved in the S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) cycle, metal transport, and vacuolar sequestration. A metabolome analysis revealed that L63 plants had a more active SAM cycle and a greater capacity for terpenoid synthesis and phenylalanine metabolism than L42. Combining the analysis of transcriptome and metabolome characterized several genes as key genes involved in the determination of Cd accumulation. Our study identifies a mechanistic basis for low Cd accumulation in maize grains and provides candidate genes for genetic improvement of crops.

Keywords: Metabolomics; Plant biology; Transcriptomics.