Abstract
The persistent nature of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in the environment severely affects plant growth and yield. Conversely, plants acquire zinc (Zn) from the soil for their vital physiological and biochemical functions. However, the interplay and coordination between essential and toxic metals for their uptake and translocation and the putative underlying epigenetic mechanisms have not yet been investigated in maize. Here, we report that the presence of Zn facilitates the accumulation and transport of Pb and Cd in the aerial parts of the maize plants. Moreover, the Zn, Pb, and Cd interplay specifically interferes with the uptake and translocation of other divalent metals, such as calcium and magnesium. Zn, Pb, and Cd, individually and in combinations, differentially regulate the expression of DNA methyltransferases, thus alter the DNA methylation levels at the promoter of Zinc-regulated transporters, Iron-regulated transporter-like Protein (ZIP) genes to regulate their expression. Furthermore, the expression of histone deacetylases (HDACs) varies greatly in response to individual and combined metals, and HDACs expression showed a negative correlation with ZIP transporters. Our study highlights the implication of DNA methylation and histone acetylation in regulating the metal stress tolerance dynamics through Zn transporters and warns against the excessive use of Zn fertilizers in metal contaminated soils.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Presence of Zn facilitates accumulation and transport of Pb and Cd in maize aerial parts.
- Organ / stage
- aerial partse1
- Treatment
- presence of Zne1
- Outcome
- accumulation and transport of Pb and Cde1
- Direction
- facilitatese1
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“in Maize”
e1“the presence of Zn facilitates the accumulation and transport of Pb and Cd in the aerial parts of the maize plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Zn, Pb and Cd together interfere with uptake and translocation of calcium and magnesium in maize.
- Treatment
- Zn, Pb, and Cd interplaye2
- Outcome
- uptake and translocation of other divalent metals, such as calcium and magnesiume2
- Direction
- interferes withe2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“in Maize”
e2“the Zn, Pb, and Cd interplay specifically interferes with the uptake and translocation of other divalent metals, such as calcium and magnesium”
Claim · model-written summary
Zn, Pb and Cd individually and in combination differentially regulate DNA methyltransferase expression in maize.
- Treatment
- Zn, Pb, and Cd, individually and in combinationse3
- Gene
- DNA methyltransferasese3
- Outcome
- expression of DNA methyltransferasese3
- Direction
- differentially regulatee3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“in Maize”
e3“Zn, Pb, and Cd, individually and in combinations, differentially regulate the expression of DNA methyltransferases”
Claim · model-written summary
Zn, Pb and Cd individually and in combination alter DNA methylation at the promoter of ZIP genes in maize.
- Treatment
- Zn, Pb, and Cd, individually and in combinationse3
- Gene
- ZIPe4
- Outcome
- DNA methylation levels at the promoter of Zinc-regulated transporterse4
- Direction
- altere4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“in Maize”
e3“Zn, Pb, and Cd, individually and in combinations, differentially regulate the expression of DNA methyltransferases”
e4“thus alter the DNA methylation levels at the promoter of Zinc-regulated transporters, Iron-regulated transporter-like Protein (ZIP) genes to regulate their expression”
Claim · model-written summary
Histone deacetylase (HDAC) expression in maize varies greatly with individual and combined metals.
- Treatment
- individual and combined metalse5
- Gene
- histone deacetylases (HDACs)e5
- Outcome
- expression of histone deacetylases (HDACs)e5
- Direction
- varies greatlye5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“in Maize”
e5“the expression of histone deacetylases (HDACs) varies greatly in response to individual and combined metals”
Claim · model-written summary
HDAC expression is negatively correlated with ZIP transporter expression in maize.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“in Maize”
e6“HDACs expression showed a negative correlation with ZIP transporters”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors advise against excessive Zn fertilizer use on metal-contaminated soils.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“in Maize”
e7“warns against the excessive use of Zn fertilizers in metal contaminated soils”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors highlight DNA methylation and histone acetylation in regulating metal stress tolerance through Zn transporters in maize.
- Gene
- Zn transporterse1
- Outcome
- metal stress tolerance dynamicse1
- Qualifier
- DNA methylation and histone acetylatione1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“in Maize”
e1“Our study highlights the implication of DNA methylation and histone acetylation in regulating the metal stress tolerance dynamics through Zn transporters”
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