IRT1 and ZIP2 were involved in exogenous hydrogen-rich water-reduced cadmium accumulation in Brassica chinensis and Arabidopsis thaliana.

The results of Cd (cadmium) concentration, Cd2+ fluorescent staining, NMT (non-invasive micro-test technology) analysis of Cd absorption revealed the remarkably positive role of HRW in reducing Cd uptake by root of pak choi seedlings. BcIRT1 (iron-regulated transporter 1) and BcZIP2 (zinc-regulated transporter protein 2) are the main Cd transporters in pak choi, but their roles in the process of HRW-reduced Cd uptake is still far from being answered. In this study, we specifically verified the function of IRT1 and ZIP2 in HRW-reduced Cd absorption in pak choi and Arabidopsis thaliana. Heterologous and homologous expression in Arabidopsis thaliana displayed that Cd concentrations in wild-type (Col-0) and transgenic A. thaliana of IRT1 and ZIP2 were significantly reduced by HRW, except for irt1- and zip2-mutant. NMT detection showed that HRW not only decreased Cd2+ influx in root of WT and transgenic lines, but also enhanced the competition between Zn and Cd. Taken together, the HRW-induced reduction of Cd accumulation in plants may be result from depressing the expression of BcIRT1 and BcZIP2 and affecting the preference of BcIRT1 and BcZIP2 in ion uptake.