Physiological responses involved in cadmium tolerance in a high-cadmium-accumulating rice (Oryza sativa L.) line

The disparity of tolerance in plants in response to Cd stress is associated with multiple physiological processes. A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the physiological properties involved in Cd tolerance of a high-cadmium (Cd)-accumulating rice line (Lu527-8) in comparison with a normal rice line (Lu527-4) under different levels of Cd exposure. Lu527-8 showed higher biomass and Cd concentrations compared with Lu527-4. The tolerance index (TI), bioconcentration factor (BCF), and translocation factor (TF) of Lu527-8 could be up to 3.08, 1.48, and 4.50 times these of Lu527-4, respectively. The two rice lines owned a uniform strategy to reduce Cd toxicity in root and stem by Cd deposition in cell wall and compartmentalization in vacuoles instead of keeping Cd in organelles. For Lu527-8, the higher distribution proportions of Cd combined with cell wall in leaf was linked to its higher Cd tolerance in comparison with Lu527-4. Lu527-8 showed a lower decline in membrane stability, antioxidation, photosynthetic parameters, and pigments than Lu527-4 when exposed to Cd stress. Taken together, the results demonstrated that higher Cd tolerance in high-Cd-accumulating rice Lu527-8 is closely linked to its greater abilities of cell wall fixation in leaf, oxidation resistance, as well as osmotic regulation and photosynthesis.