Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 29, 2025

Hydroponics: A Versatile System to Study Nutrient Allocation and Plant Responses to Nutrient Availability and Exposure to Toxic Elements
Published on: July 13, 2016
Boron supplying alters cadmium retention in root cell walls and glutathione content in Capsicum annuum
Yingying Huang1, Baifei Huang1, Chuang Shen1
1School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Hunan Institute of Technology, Hengyang, Hunan Province, China.
Abstract:
Large areas of farmland in southern China are facing environmental problems such as cadmium (Cd) contamination and boron (B) deficiency. The aim of this study was to investigate the biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying the reduction in Cd accumulation in hot pepper (Capsicum annuum) by B application. A hydroponic experiment was conducted to compare the subcellular distribution of Cd, transcriptome profile, degree of pectin methylation, and glutathione (GSH) synthesis in the roots of hot pepper under different B and Cd conditions. Boron supply promoted root cell wall biosynthesis and pectin demethylation by upregulating related genes and increasing cell wall Cd concentration by 28%. In addition, with the application of B, the proportion of Cd in root cell walls increased from 27% to 37%. Boron supplementation upregulated sulfur metabolism-related genes but decreased cysteine and GSH contents in the roots. As a result, shoot Cd concentration decreased by 27% due to the decrease in GSH, a critical long-distance transport carrier of Cd. Consequently, B supply could reduce the uptake, translocation, and accumulation of Cd in hot pepper by retaining Cd in the root cell walls and decreasing GSH content.
Related Concept Videos
Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss
Responses to Salt Stress
Key Elements for Plant Nutrition
C4 Pathway and CAM
C4 Pathway
The C4 pathway is used by plants such as...
Plant Cell Wall
Sulfur Assimilation

