Various nutrients (Mg, Zn, Fe, Mn, Si, etc.) can supress cadmium (Cd) uptake and alleviate Cd toxicity, but the mechanisms are not the same. In this study, the molecular mechanism governing the effects of boron (B) on uptake of Cd in hydroponically grown wheat was characterized. As compared to control (0 μM Cd), B concentration per plant decreased by 22% and 29% under 5 μM Cd and 50 μM Cd treatment respectively. In addition, B application decreased Cd concentration and accumulation in whole wheat. Correlation analysis of different elements show that there was a highly negative correlation between concentrations of B and Cd (r = -0.854 with significant correlation) in wheat. Additionally, 16,543 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (7666 up- and 8877 down-regulated) were detected between 0 and 5 μM Cd treatments in wheat roots by transcriptome sequencing. Gene ontology functional category and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analyses indicated that the DEGs were involved in biological process, cellular component, and molecular function. Five highly homologous genes to Cd transporters were identified; these genes were involved in metal ion binding, transmembrane ion transport, and protein transport. According to the qRT-PCR results, expression of all these genes was down-regulated in the 462 μM of B treatment compared with the 46.2 μM of B treatment regardless of the Cd treatments (0.5 or 5 μM Cd). These results suggest that B is an inhibitor of Cd uptake, and the down-regulation of five highly homologous genes could be associated with decreased uptake of Cd after B application.

中文翻译：

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硼通过调节基因表达抑制小麦（Triticum aestivum）对镉的吸收

多种营养元素（Mg、Zn、Fe、Mn、Si等）可以抑制镉（Cd）的吸收，减轻镉的毒性，但作用机制不尽相同。在这项研究中，表征了控制硼 (B) 对水培小麦中 Cd 吸收影响的分子机制。与对照 (0 μM C​​d) 相比，在 5 μM C​​d 和 50 μM C​​d 处理下，每株植物的 B 浓度分别降低了 22% 和 29%。此外，B 施用降低了全麦中 Cd 的浓度和积累。不同元素的相关分析表明，小麦中B和Cd的浓度呈高度负相关（r=-0.854，相关性显着）。此外，16、通过转录组测序，在小麦根的 0 到 5 μM C​​d 处理之间检测到 543 个差异表达基因（DEG）（7666 个上调和 8877 个下调）。基因本体功能类别和京都基因和基因组通路分析百科全书表明，DEGs参与生物过程、细胞成分和分子功能。鉴定了五个与 Cd 转运蛋白高度同源的基因；这些基因参与金属离子结合、跨膜离子转运和蛋白质转运。根据 qRT-PCR 结果，与 46.2 μM 的 B 处理相比，所有这些基因的表达在 462 μM 的 B 处理中都被下调，而与 Cd 处理（0.5 或 5 μM C​​d）无关。这些结果表明 B 是 Cd 吸收的抑制剂，