Wheat-associated Pseudomonas taiwanensis WRS8 reduces cadmium uptake by increasing root surface cadmium adsorption and decreasing cadmium uptake and transport related gene expression in wheat

Cadmium resistance microbes and TiO2 nanoparticles alleviate cadmium toxicity in wheat

Cadmium toxicity in the soil is an alarming issue, and among innumerable approaches, microbe-facilitated nanoparticle application for alleviation of Cd stress is a well-accepted technique. The present study explored the efficiency of combined TiO2-NPs and Staphylococcus aureus M1 strains for Cd mitigation in wheat plants. Results depicted that Cd stress attenuates the growth attributes while the collective application of NPs and microbes significantly upsurges the growth attributes as contrasted to Cd treatment. Combined TiO2-NPs and microbes application increased the total chlorophyll (12), a (10), b (11), and carotenoids (13%) under Cd (50 mg kg- 1) compared to microbial treatment. MDA (4), H2O2 (3), and EL (5%) were significantly down-regulated with combined TiO2-NPs and microbes application under Cd (50 mg kg- 1) compared to microbial treatment. CAT (17), SOD (7), POD (8), and APX (29%) were increased with combined TiO2-NPs and microbes application under Cd (50 mg kg- 1) comparison to microbial treatment. Cd accumulation in roots (34), shoots (23), and grains (27%) were significantly reduced under Cd (50 mg kg- 1) with combined TiO2-NPs and microbes application, contrary to microbial treatment. Subsequently, combined TiO2-NPs and microbial strains Staphylococcus aureus M1 application is a sustainable solution to boost crop production under Cd stress.

Simultaneous immobilization of multiple heavy metal(loid)s in contaminated water and alkaline soil inoculated Fe/Mn oxidizing bacterium

Two strains of Fe/Mn oxidizing bacteria tolerant to high concentrations of multiple heavy metal(loid)s and efficient decontamination for them were screened. The surface of the bio-Fe/Mn oxides produced by the oxidation of Fe(II) and Mn(II) by Pseudomonas taiwanensis (marked as P4) and Pseudomonas plecoglossicida (marked as G1) contains rich reactive oxygen functional groups, which play critical roles in the removal efficiency and immobilization of heavy metal(loid)s in co-contamination system. The isolated strains P4 and G1 can grow well in the following environments: pH 5-9, NaCl 0-4%, and temperature 20-30°C. The removal efficiencies of Fe, Pb, As, Zn, Cd, Cu, and Mn are effective after inoculation of the strains P4 and G1 in the simulated water system (the initial concentrations of heavy metal(loid) were 1 mg/L), approximately reaching 96%, 92%, 85%, 67%, 70%, 54% and 15%, respectively. The exchangeable and carbonate bound As, Cd, Pb and Cu are more inclined to convert to the Fe-Mn oxide bound fractions in P4 and G1 treated soil, thereby reducing the phytoavailability and bioaccessible of heavy metal(loid)s. This research provides alternatives method to treat water and soil containing high concentrations of multi-heavy metal(loid)s.

Community dynamics in rhizosphere bacteria affected the adaptive growth of wheat in cadmium-contaminated soils

Soil cadmium (Cd) contamination in agriculture has intensified due to industrial development and human activities, which seriously affected the safety production in wheat. There are increasing evidences that rhizosphere bacteria contributed to alleviating Cd stress in plants, but the mechanism of how rhizosphere bacteria affecting the adaptive growth of wheat exposed to Cd contamination has not been extensively explored. Therefore, the rhizosphere bacterial community dynamics and plant growth for wheat were investigated under different levels of soil Cd contamination in accordance with risk control standard for soil contamination of agricultural land. The results showed that there was no significant difference in transport coefficient of Cd in wheat plants grown in different levels of soil Cd contamination conditions. Soil Cd contamination led to a decrease in soil pH value and an increase in exchangeable Cd content in rhizosphere soil. Although rhizosphere bacterial richness and diversity had no significant difference between soil Cd contamination conditions, as its community composition changed significantly. Under Cd contamination of risk screening value, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Nitrospira showed higher abundance, but Bacteroidetes, Patescibacteria, Sphingomonas, ADurbBin063-1 and Bryobacter were more prevalent under Cd contamination of risk intervention value. The enrichment of Patescibacteria, Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria was beneficial for Cd fixation, while Nitrospira enhanced nutrient uptake and utilization. Furthermore, Cd contamination with risk screening value enhanced the relationship among rhizosphere bacterial communities, and Cd contamination with risk intervention value increased the cooperative relationship among rhizosphere bacterial species. Additionally, soil Cd content showed a significantly positive correlation with Patescibacteria and ADurbBin063-1, and a significantly negative correlation with pH. Altogether, the shift in the community structures of rhizosphere bacterial was crucial for farmland protection and food safety in Cd polluted soil.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-024-01532-8.

Phosphorus-Solubilizing Bacteria Enhance Cadmium Immobilization and Gene Expression in Wheat Roots to Reduce Cadmium Uptake

The application of phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria is an effective method for increasing the available phosphorus content and inhibiting wheat uptake of heavy metals. However, further research is needed on the mechanism by which phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria inhibit cadmium (Cd) uptake in wheat roots and its impact on the expression of root-related genes. Here, the effects of strain Klebsiella aerogenes M2 on Cd absorption in wheat and the expression of root-related Cd detoxification and immobilization genes were determined. Compared with the control, strain M2 reduced (64.1-64.6%) Cd uptake by wheat roots. Cd fluorescence staining revealed that strain M2 blocked the entry of exogenous Cd into the root interior and enhanced the immobilization of Cd by cell walls. Forty-seven genes related to Cd detoxification, including genes encoding peroxidase, chalcone synthase, and naringenin 3-dioxygenase, were upregulated in the Cd+M2 treatment. Strain M2 enhanced the Cd resistance and detoxification activity of wheat roots through the regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis and antioxidant enzyme activity. Moreover, strain M2 regulated the expression of genes related to phenylalanine metabolism and the MAPK signaling pathway to enhance Cd immobilization in roots. These results provide a theoretical basis for the use of phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria to remediate Cd-contaminated fields and reduce Cd uptake in wheat.

Mechanisms of low cadmium accumulation in crops: A comprehensive overview from rhizosphere soil to edible parts

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal often found in soil and agricultural products. Due to its high mobility, Cd poses a significant health risk when absorbed by crops, a crucial component of the human diet. This absorption primarily occurs through roots and leaves, leading to Cd accumulation in edible parts of the plant. Our research aimed to understand the mechanisms behind the reduced Cd accumulation in certain crop cultivars through an extensive review of the literature. Crops employ various strategies to limit Cd influx from the soil, including rhizosphere microbial fixation and altering root cell metabolism. Additional mechanisms include membrane efflux, specific transport, chelation, and detoxification, facilitated by metalloproteins such as the natural resistance-associated macrophage protein (Nramp) family, heavy metal P-type ATPases (HMA), zinc-iron permease (ZIP), and ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. This paper synthesizes differences in Cd accumulation among plant varieties, presents methods for identifying cultivars with low Cd accumulation, and explores the unique molecular biology of Cd accumulation. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive resource for managing agricultural lands with lower contamination levels and supports the development of crops engineered to accumulate minimal amounts of Cd.

Mechanisms involved in the sequestration and resistance of cadmium for a plant-associated Pseudomonas strain

Understanding Cd-resistant bacterial cadmium (Cd) resistance systems is crucial for improving microremediation in Cd-contaminated environments. However, these mechanisms are not fully understood in plant-associated bacteria. In the present study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying Cd sequestration and resistance in the strain AN-B15. These results showed that extracellular Cd sequestration by complexation in strain AN-B15 was primarily responsible for the removal of Cd from the solution. Transcriptome analyses have shown that the mechanisms of Cd resistance at the transcriptional level involve collaborative processes involving multiple metabolic pathways. The AN-B15 strain upregulated the expression of genes related to exopolymeric substance synthesis, metal transport, Fe-S cluster biogenesis, iron recruitment, reactive oxygen species oxidative stress defense, and DNA and protein repair to resist Cd-induced stress. Furthermore, inoculation with AN-B15 alleviated Cd-induced toxicity and reduced Cd uptake in the shoots of wheat seedlings, indicating its potential for remediation. Overall, the results improve our understanding of the mechanisms involved in Cd resistance in bacteria and thus have important implications for improving microremediation.

Community-based mechanisms underlying the root cadmium uptake regulated by Cd-tolerant strains in rice (Oryza sativa. L)

In recent years, the problem of Cd pollution in paddy fields has become more and more serious, which seriously threatens the safe production of food crops and human health. Using microorganisms to reduce cadmium pollution in rice fields is a green, safe and efficient method, the complicated interactions between the microbes in rice roots throughout the process of cadmium absorption by rice roots are poorly understood. In this investigation, a hydroponic pot experiment was used to examine the effects of bacteria R3 (Herbaspirillum sp) and T4 (Bacillus cereus) on cadmium uptake and the endophytic bacterial community in rice roots. The results showed that compared with CK (Uninoculated bacterial liquid), the two strains had significant inhibitory or promotive effects on cadmium uptake in rice plant, respectively. Among them, the decrease of cadmium content in rice plants by R3 strain reached 78.57-79.39%, and the increase of cadmium content in rice plants by T4 strain reached 140.49-158.19%. Further investigation showed that the cadmium content and root cadmium enrichment coefficient of rice plants were significantly negatively correlated with the relative abundances of Burkholderia and Acidovorax, and significantly positively correlated with the relative abundances of Achromobacter, Agromyces and Acidocella. Moreover, a more complex network of microbes in rice roots inhibited rice plants from absorbing cadmium. These results suggest that cadmium uptake by rice plants is closely related to the endophytic bacterial community of roots. This study provides a reference scheme for the safe production of crops in cadmium contaminated paddies and lays a solid theoretical foundation for subsequent field applications.

Metal-immobilizing Pseudomonas taiwanensis WRS8 reduces heavy metal accumulation in Coriandrum sativum by changing the metal immobilization-related bacterial population abundances

Metal-immobilizing bacteria play a critical role in metal accumulation in vegetables. However, little is known concerning the mechanisms involved in bacteria-induced reduced metal availability and uptake in vegetables. In this study, the impacts of metal-immobilizing Pseudomonas taiwanensis WRS8 on the plant biomass, Cd and Pb availability and uptake in two coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) cultivars, and bacterial community structure were investigated in the polluted soil. Strain WRS8 increased the biomass of two coriander cultivars by 25-48% and reduced Cd and Pb contents in the edible tissues by 40-59% and available Cd and Pb contents in the rhizosphere soils by 11.1-15.2%, compared with the controls. Strain WRS8 significantly increased the pH values and relative abundances of the dominant populations of Sphingomonas, Pseudomonas, Gaiellales, Streptomyces, Frankiales, Bradyrhizobium, and Luteimonas, while strain WRS8 significantly decreased the relative abundances of the dominant populations of Gemmatimonadaceae, Nitrospira, Haliangium, Paenibacillus, Massilia, Bryobacter, and Rokubacteriales and the rare bacterial populations of Enterorhabdus, Roseburia, Luteibacter, and Planifilum in the rhizosphere soils, compared with the controls. Significantly negative correlations were observed between the available metal concentrations and the abundances of Pseudomonas, Luteimonas, Frankiales, and Planifilum. These results implied that strain WRS8 could affect the abundances of the dominant and rare bacterial populations involved in metal immobilization, resulting in increased pH values and decreased metal availability and uptake in the vegetables in the contaminated soil.

The combined application of γ-PGA-producing bacteria and biochar reduced the content of heavy metals and improved the quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Plant growth-promoting bacteria and biochar have been widely used as immobilizers to remediate heavy metal contaminated soil. However, few studies have unraveled the effect and synergistic mechanism of combined application of plant growth-promoting bacteria and biochar on in situ heavy metal contaminated soil remediation and plant yield and quality improvement under heavy metal pollution stress. In this study, the effects of biochar, γ-PGA-producing bacteria (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain W25) and their combined application on Cd and Pb immobilization, γ-PGA production in soil filtrate, the bacterial community in rhizosphere soil, physicochemical properties of soil, heavy metal uptake, and quality and yield of tomato in heavy metal-contaminated soil were investigated. The application of W25, biochar, and their combinations significantly reduced Cd content in mature tomato fruits by 22-60%, increased the single fruit weight and lycopene content by 7-21% and 23-48%, respectively, and the combination of biochar and W25 had the best effect. All the treatments significantly reduced DTPA-Cd and DTPA-Pb contents in rhizosphere soil (42-53% and 6.5-35%), increased the pH value and the activities of urease-alkaline phosphatase of soil, but did not affect the expression of heavy metal transporter gene LeNRAMP1 in tomato roots. Biochar + W25 increased the relative abundance of plant growth-promoting bacteria such as Bacillus and Streptomyces. Biochar-enhanced plant growth-promoting bacteria to settle and colonize in soil significantly improved the ability of strain W25 to produce γ-PGA, and immobilized Cd in soil filtrate. The combination of biochar and plant growth-promoting bacteria ensures safe crop production in heavy metal-contaminated soil.

Biofilm-overproducing Bacillus subtilis B12ΔYwcc decreases Cd uptake in Chinese cabbage through increasing Cd-immobilizing related gene abundance and root surface colonization

Biofilm-producing bacteria can decrease Cd uptake in vegetables, but mechanisms underlying this effect are poorly characterized. In this study, two mutant strains B12ΔYwcc and B12ΔSlrR were constructed from a biofilm-producing Bacillus subtilis strain B12. Then, the impacts of strain B12 and its high biofilm-producing mutant strain B12ΔYwcc and low biofilm-producing mutant strain B12ΔSlrR on Cd availability and uptake in Chinese cabbage and the related mechanisms were investigated in the Cd-polluted soil. Strain B12 and its mutants B12ΔYwcc and B12ΔSlrR increased the dry biomasses of edible tissues by 54%-130% compared with the controls. Strain B12 and its mutant B12ΔYwcc reduced the soil available Cd content by 36%-50% and root and edible tissue Cd contents by 23%-50% compared with the controls. Furthermore, the mutant strain B12ΔYwcc reduced the edible tissue Cd content by 40% and increased the polysaccharide content by 23%, invertase activity by 139%, and gene copies of the cumA by 4.5-fold, epsA by 7.1-fold, and cadA by 4.3-fold, which were involved in Cd adsorption in the rhizosphere soils, respectively, compared with strain B12. The polysaccharide content and cumA, epsA, and cadA gene copy numbers showed significantly reverse correlations with the available Cd content. Notably, the mutant strain B12ΔYwcc showed better ability to colonize the vegetable root surface than strain B12. These findings demonstrated that the biofilm-overproducing mutant strain B12ΔYwcc increased the polysaccharide production and Cd-immobilizing related cumA, epsA, and cadA gene copies, resulting in lower Cd availability and accumulation in Chinese cabbage in the Cd-polluted soil.

Plant growth-promoting effect and genomic analysis of the P. putida LWPZF isolated from C. japonicum rhizosphere

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria are a type of beneficial bacteria which inhabit in the rhizosphere and possess the abilities to promote plant growth. Pseudomonas putida LWPZF is a plant growth-promoting bacterium isolated from the rhizosphere soil of Cercidiphyllum japonicum. Inoculation treatment with LWPZF could significantly promote the growth of C. japonicum seedlings. P. putida LWPZF has a variety of plant growth-promoting properties, including the ability to solubilize phosphate, synthesize ACC deaminase and IAA. The P. putida LWPZF genome contained a circular chromosome (6,259,530 bp) and a circular plasmid (160,969 bp) with G+C contents of 61.75% and 58.25%, respectively. There were 5632 and 169 predicted protein-coding sequences (CDSs) on the chromosome and the plasmid respectively. Genome sequence analysis revealed lots of genes associated with biosynthesis of IAA, pyoverdine, ACC deaminase, trehalose, volatiles acetoin and 2,3-butanediol, 4-hydroxybenzoate, as well as gluconic acid contributing phosphate solubilization. Additionally, we identified many heavy metal resistance genes, including arsenate, copper, chromate, cobalt-zinc-cadmium, and mercury. These results suggest that P. putida LWPZF shows strong potential in the fields of biofertilizer, biocontrol and heavy metal contamination soil remediation. The data presented in this study will allow us to better understand the mechanisms of plant growth promotion, biocontrol, and anti-heavy metal of P. putida LWPZF.

Synergistic effects of Cd-loving Bacillus sp. N3 and iron oxides on immobilizing Cd and reducing wheat uptake of Cd

Iron oxides and microorganisms are important soil components that profoundly affect the transformation and bioavailability of heavy metals in soils. Here, batch and pot experiments were conducted to investigate the immobilization mechanisms of Cd by Cd-loving Bacillus sp. N3 and ferrihydrite (Fh) as well as their impacts on Cd uptake by wheat and bacterial community composition in wheat rhizospheric soil. The results showed that the combination of strain N3 with Fh could immobilize more Cd compared to strain N3 and Fh, respectively. Furthermore, strain N3 facilitated Cd retention on Fh, which synergistically reduced the concentration of DTPA extracted Cd in the soil and decreased Cd content (57.1%) in wheat grains. Moreover, inoculation with strain N3 increased the complexity of the co-occurrence network of the bacterial community in rhizospheric soil, and the abundance of beneficial bacteria with multipel functions including heavy metal immobilization, dissimilatory iron reduction, and plant growth promotion. Overall, this study demonstrated the enrichment of strain N3 and iron oxides, together with increased soil pH, synergistically immobilized soil Cd, which strongly suggested inoculation with Cd-loving strains could be a promising approach to immobilize Cd and reduce wheat uptake of Cd, particular for soils rich in iron oxides.

Cadmium in Cereal Crops: Uptake and Transport Mechanisms and Minimizing Strategies

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in soils and accumulation in cereal grains have posed food security risks and serious health concerns worldwide. Understanding the Cd transport process and its management for minimizing Cd accumulation in cereals may help to improve crop growth and grain quality. In this review, we summarize Cd uptake, translocation, and accumulation mechanisms in cereal crops and discuss efficient measures to reduce Cd uptake as well as potential remediation strategies, including the applications of plant growth regulators, microbes, nanoparticles, and cropping systems and developing low-Cd grain cultivars by CRISPR/Cas9. In addition, miRNAs modulate Cd translocation, and accumulation in crops through the regulation of their target genes was revealed. Combined use of multiple remediation methods may successfully decrease Cd concentrations in cereals. The findings in this review provide some insights into innovative and applicable approaches for reducing Cd accumulation in cereal grains and sustainable management of Cd-contaminated paddy fields.

Recent Advances in Minimizing Cadmium Accumulation in Wheat

Cadmium (Cd), a toxic heavy metal, affects the yield and quality of crops. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) can accumulate high Cd content in the grain, which poses a major worldwide hazard to human health. Advances in our understanding of Cd toxicity for plants and humans, different parameters influencing Cd uptake and accumulation, as well as phytoremediation technologies to relieve Cd pollution in wheat have been made very recently. In particular, the molecular mechanisms of wheat under Cd stress have been increasingly recognized. In this review, we focus on the recently described omics and functional genes uncovering Cd stress, as well as different mitigation strategies to reduce Cd toxicity in wheat.

Biofilm-overproducing Bacillus amyloliquefaciens P29ΔsinR decreases Pb availability and uptake in lettuce in Pb-polluted soil

In this study, one mutant strain P29ΔsinR with increased biofilm production was constructed from a biofilm-producing Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain P29. Then, the effect of strain P29 and its biofilm-overproducing mutant strain P29ΔsinR on Pb availability and accumulation in lettuce and the associated mechanisms were characterized in the Pb-contaminated soil. The live strains P29 and P29ΔsinR increased the dry masses of roots and edible tissues by 31-74% compared to the controls. The live strains P29 and P29ΔsinR reduced the Pb uptake in the roots by 36-52% and edible tissues by 24-43%, Pb bioconcentration factor by 36-52%, and rhizosphere soil available Pb content by 12-25%, respectively, compared to the controls. The live strains P29 and P29ΔsinR increased the pH, proportion of biofilm-producing bacteria by 46-154%, contents of polysaccharides by 99-139% and proteins by 32-57%, and gene relative abundances of epsC by 7.1-10.2-fold, tasA by 10.3-10.8-fold, and sipW by 6.5-26.1-fold, which were associated with biofilm formation and Pb adsorption in the rhizosphere soils, respectively, compared to the controls. Furthermore, the mutant strain P29ΔsinR showed higher ability to reduce Pb availability and uptake in lettuce and increase the pH, proportion of biofilm-producing bacteria, polysaccharide and protein contents, and relative abundances of these genes. These results showed that the biofilm-overproducing strain P29ΔsinR induced lower Pb availability and accumulation in the vegetable and more biofilm-producing bacteria, polysaccharide and protein production, and Pb-immobilizing related gene abundances in the Pb-contaminated soil.

Cadmium-resistant and arginine decarboxylase-producing endophytic Sphingomonas sp. C40 decreases cadmium accumulation in host rice (Oryza sativa Cliangyou 513)

In this study, an cadmium (Cd)-immobilizing and arginine decarboxylase-producing endophytic Sphingomonas sp. strain C40 obtained from the seeds of Oryza sativa Cliangyou 513 was characterized for its Cd availability and Cd uptake in host rice using hydroponic and soil experiments. The Cd concentration decreased by 51-95% compared to the control, while the spermidine concentration increased by 19-25% with Cd compared with no Cd in the strain C40-inoculated solution. Strain C40 decreased the above-ground tissue Cd content by 27-37% and increased spermine and spermidine contents by 28-67% and the expression levels of genes involved in spermine and spermidine production by 29-217% in rice roots compared to the controls. Furthermore, correlation analyses showed the significantly negative correlation between rice root spermine and spermidine contents and above-ground tissue Cd content. In the Cd-added soil, strain C40 promoted the rice biomass by 29-36% and decreased rice root, above-ground tissue, and grain Cd contents by 18, 16, and 33% and total grain Cd uptake by 14% compared with the controls at the maturity stage. Strain C40 decreased the exchangeable Cd content by 27% and increased the Fe and Mn oxides-bound Cd content by 45% in the rice rhizosphere soils at the maturity stage compared with the controls. These results suggested that the endophytic bacterial strain C40 increased rice root polyamine production and their related gene expression and the transformation of available Cd to unavailable Cd, leading to reduced Cd accumulation and translocation from the rice roots to grains.