How paper mulberry trees lock away toxic cadmium in their cells
Tianyu W, Yuying J, Yani H, Xingjing T, Aleem K
Phytoremediation
Paper mulberry is the scrappy tree that sprouts along roadsides and vacant lots, and this work shows how it soaks up toxic cadmium from soil, making it a candidate for cleaning up contaminated ground.
Paper mulberry is a tree that grows well in soil polluted with cadmium, a toxic metal. Its cells have tiny pumps that push acid into storage sacs, and this helps trap the metal where it can't do harm. Roots use one part of the pump for a quick response, while stems and leaves use another part for steady, longer-lasting work.
Key Findings
Researchers identified 22 genes (BpVHAs) for the vacuolar H+-ATPase pump in paper mulberry, grouped into V0 and V1 domains, with promoters rich in stress- and hormone-related regulatory elements.
Over a 30-day cadmium treatment, pump activity rose in a tissue-graded pattern, with roots responding earliest and most strongly, while cadmium caused only mild electrolyte leakage.
V1 gene expression best matched pump activity in roots, while V0 expression dominated in stems and leaves; BpVHA-a2, BpVHA-a3 and BpVHA-c1 emerged as key cadmium detoxification genes.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Paper mulberry, a tough tree that thrives in polluted soil, locks away cadmium using proton pumps in its cells. Roots and leaves rely on different parts of the pump, which points to genes that could help breed better trees for cleaning up contaminated land.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
V0 and V1 domains of vacuolar H+-ATPase play distinct roles in cadmium tolerance of Broussonetia papyrifera.
Cadmium (Cd) contamination poses a major threat to forest ecosystems, and Broussonetia papyrifera is a promising woody species with strong Cd tolerance and accumulation capacity. Vacuolar H+-ATPase...
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The paper mulberry is a species of flowering tree in the family Moraceae. It is native to East and Southeast Asia, including mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Myanmar and Taiwan. It is widely cultivated elsewhere as an introduced species in New Zealand, parts of Europe, the United S...