Jasmonic acid's impact on Sedum alfredii growth and cadmium tolerance: A physiological and transcriptomic study

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2024-03, Vol.914, p.169939-169939, Article 169939
• Main Authors: Shi, An, Xu, Junlong, Guo, Yingmin, Rensing, Christopher, Chang, Jinqing, Zhang, Taoxiang, Zhang, Liming, Xing, Shihe, Ni, Wuzhong, Yang, Wenhao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cadmium; Jasmonic acid; Phytoextraction; Sedum alfredii; Transcriptomic analysis
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.169939

Soil cadmium (Cd) pollution is escalating, necessitating effective remediation strategies. This study investigated the effects of exogenous jasmonic acid (JA) on Sedum alfredii Hance under Cd stress, aiming to enhance its phytoextraction efficiency. Initially, experiments were conducted to assess the impact of various concentrations of JA added to environments with Cd concentrations of 100, 300, and 500 μmol/L. The results determined that a concentration of 1 μmol/L JA was optimal. This concentration effectively mitigated the level of ROS products by enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Additionally, JA fostered Cd absorption and accumulation, while markedly improving plant biomass and photosynthetic performance. In further experiments, treatment with 1 μmol/L JA under 300 μmol/L Cd stress was performed and transcriptomic analysis unveiled a series of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) instrumental in the JA-mediated Cd stress response. These DEGs encompass not only pathways of JA biosynthesis and signaling but also genes encoding functions that influence antioxidant systems and photosynthesis, alongside genes pertinent to cell wall synthesis, and metal chelation and transport. This study highlights that JA treatment significantly enhances S. alfredii's Cd tolerance and accumulation, offering a promising strategy for plant remediation and deepening our understanding of plant responses to heavy metal stress. [Display omitted] •Exogenous JA significantly enhances the growth, stress tolerance, and Cd uptake/accumulation in S. alfredii under Cd stress.•Under 100 μmol/L Cd stress, S. alfredii showed optimal Cd remediation at 1 μmol/L JA treatment.•JA upregulated genes related to photosynthesis, antioxidant systems, cell wall synthesis, and Cd uptake/accumulation.•JA biosynthesis and signaling play a pivotal role in mediating the Cd stress response.