PubMed · 2026-07-01
Scientists identified a two-gene switch in poplar trees that controls how the trees tolerate and absorb cadmium, a toxic heavy metal common in polluted soils. The regulatory protein PyWRKY48 directly turns on PyMTP10, which together boost the tree's ability to pull cadmium out of contaminated ground and lock it safely inside plant tissues.
PyWRKY48 directly binds the W-box element in the PyMTP10 promoter, confirmed by yeast one-hybrid, dual-luciferase, and EMSA assays
PyMTP10-overexpressing poplar showed increased growth, chlorophyll content, and antioxidant enzyme activity under cadmium stress compared to controls
Overexpression of PyMTP10 elevated cadmium accumulation across all plant tissues alongside higher levels of glutathione and phytochelatins, the chelating compounds that sequester the metal
