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Comparative understanding of metal hyperaccumulation in plants: a mini-review

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Abstract

Hyperaccumulator plants are ideal models for investigating the regulatory mechanisms of plant metal homeostasis and environmental adaptation due to their notable traits of metal accumulation and tolerance. These traits may benefit either the biofortification of essential mineral nutrients or the phytoremediation of nonessential toxic metals. A common mechanism by which elevated expression of key genes involved in metal transport or chelation contributes to hyperaccumulation and hypertolerance was proposed mainly from studies examining two Brassicaceae hyperaccumulators, namely Arabidopsis halleri and Noccaea caerulescens (formerly Thlaspi caerulescens). Meanwhile, recent findings regarding systems outside the Brassicaceae hyperaccumulators indicated that functional enhancement of key genes might represent a strategy evolved by hyperaccumulator plants. This review provides a brief outline of metal hyperaccumulation in plants and highlights commonalities and differences among various hyperaccumulators.

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Funding

This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants 31700212) and Doctoral Scientific Research Start-up Funding of Hunan University of Science and Technology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Ecological Remediation and Safe Utilization of Heavy Metal-Polluted Soils, College of Life Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, 411201, Hunan, China

    Jia-Shi Peng, Yu-Hao Guan, Xian-Jing Lin, Xiao-Jing Xu, Lu Xiao & Hai-Hua Wang

  2. Southern Regional Collaborative Innovation Center for Grain and Oil Crops in China, College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, Hunan, China

    Shuan Meng

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  1. Jia-Shi Peng
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  2. Yu-Hao Guan
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Peng, JS., Guan, YH., Lin, XJ. et al. Comparative understanding of metal hyperaccumulation in plants: a mini-review. Environ Geochem Health 43, 1599–1607 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-020-00533-2

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