<i>R</i>-Napropamide Potentially Regulates Cadmium Accumulation in <i>Arabidopsis</i> Shoots through Transport Channel Modulation
Minghui Xie, Yaxin Zhu, Kai Zhao, Lu Zhao, Yanxia Gong, Yin Wang, Yuying Wang, Mengfei Zhu, Wu Ran, Miaozhen Cai, Shaoting Du
Abstract
Heavy metal contamination in soils poses a significant environmental threat to human health. This study examines the effects of the chiral herbicide napropamide (NAP) on Arabidopsis thaliana, focusing on growth metrics and cadmium (Cd) accumulation. R- NAP does not adversely affect plant growth compared to the control, whereas S- NAP significantly reduces root length and fresh weight. Notably, R -NAP markedly increases Cd accumulation in the shoots, exceeding levels observed in the control and S -NAP. This increase coincides with reduced photosynthetic efficiency. Noninvasive electrode techniques reveal a higher net Cd absorption flux in the root mature zone under R -NAP than S -NAP, although similar to the control. Transcriptomic analysis highlights significant stereoisomer differences in Cd transporters, predominantly under R -NAP treatment. SEM and molecular docking simulations support that R -NAP primarily upregulates transporters such as HMA4 . The results suggest careful management of herbicides like R -NAP in contaminated fields to avoid excessive heavy metal buildup in crops.