BrCYP71A15 Negatively Regulates Hg Stress Tolerance by Modulating Cell Wall Biosynthesis in Yeast

Over the past two decades, heavy metal pollution has been a common problem worldwide, greatly threatening crop production. As one of the metal pollutants, Mercury (Hg) causes damage to plant cells and reduces cellular and biochemical activities. In this study, we identified a novel cytochrome P450 family gene, BrCYP71A15, which was involved in Hg stress response in yeast. In Chinese cabbage, the BrCYP71A15 gene was located on chromosome A01, which was highly expressed in roots. Additionally, the expression level of BrCYP71A15 was induced by different heavy metal stresses, and the BrCYP71A15 protein exhibited a strong interaction with other proteins. Overexpression of BrCYP71A15 in yeast cells showed no response to a number of heavy metal stresses (Cu, Al, Co, Cd) in yeast but showed high sensitivity to Hg stress; the cells grew slower than those carrying the empty vector (EV). Moreover, upon Hg stress, the growth of the BrCYP71A15-overexpressing cells increased over time, and Hg accumulation in yeast cells was enhanced by two-fold compared with the control. Additionally, BrCYP71A15 was translocated into the nucleus under Hg stress. The expression level of cell wall biosynthesis genes was significantly influenced by Hg stress in the BrCYP71A15-overexpressing cells. These findings suggested that BrCYP71A15 might participate in HG stress tolerance. Our results provide a fundamental basis for further genome editing research and a novel approach to decrease Hg accumulation in vegetable crops and reduce environmental risks to human health through the food chain.