SUBCELLULAR LOCALISATION OF CADMIUM CORRELATES WITH TOLERANCE RATE OF DIFFERENT WHEAT VARIETIES

Abstract

Distribution and allocation of metals within different cellular compartments significantly impact plant responses to toxic elements like cadmium. In this work, the subcellular accumulation of cadmium was analysed using gammaspectrometry in wheat tissue samples derived from 7 plants of early developmental stage. We assessed distribution of cadmium in 9 wheat varieties. Similarly to roots, the highest ¹⁰⁹Cd content in shoot cells accumulated in the cytosol/vacuolar fraction, ranging between 40-60% of the total ¹⁰⁹Cd accumulated. The lowest values of cytosol/vacuolar accumulation were detected in the case of Durgalova variety, the highest in Ilona and Sunanka varieties. The lowest portion (less than 20%) of cadmium was accumulated in the organelle fraction of both shoots and roots. In the shoot cell walls 20-40% of cadmium was deposited, the highest values were observed in the case of Zirnitra and Peruna varieties, and the lowest values in the Sunanka and Ilona. Our data revealed that tolerance based on shoot growth negatively correlates with Cd deposition in shoot cell walls (-0.48) and in shoot organelles (-0.31). On the other hand, positive correlation (0.48) was detected with metal deposition in shoot cytosol. Our approach opens new avenues for investigating the metal accumulation dynamics in plants, facilitating the development of resilient and environmentally sustainable agricultural practices.