Distinct Cadmium detoxicity response between rice cultivars carrying functional or loss-of-function OsHMA3 allele

Abstract Plant faces various types of abiotic stress during their growth, making it crucial to understand how they respond to such stress. This study aimed to investigate the differences in Cd detoxicity response in rice cultivars with functional or loss-of-function OsHMA3 allele. The experiment involved analyzing growth and photosynthetic indexes, root configuration, antioxidant enzymes, cell ultrastructural changes, subcellular Cd fraction, and Cd species in rice seedlings exposed to different Cd concentrations. The findings showed that Cd significantly inhibited growth in rice seedlings, with greater reductions observed in OsHMA3 loss-of-function allele cultivars. The cultivar exhibited enhanced cell ultrastructural damage and higher Cd accumulation in above-ground tissues when compared to that with functional OsHMA3 gene. Overall, this study highlights the importance of OsHMA3 gene in Cd detoxicity responses, providing valuable insights into plant Cd detoxicity mechanisms and the safe utilization of Cd-contaminated soils.