Veronica Caggìa, Jan Wälchli, Gabriel Deslandes-Hérold, Pierre Mateo, Christelle A. M. Robert, Hang Guan, Moritz Bigalke, Sandra Spielvogel, Adrien Mestrot, Klaus Schlaeppi, and Matthias Erb.
PNAS March 26 2024; 121 (13) e2314261121
Significance
Toxic levels of arsenic in the soil can substantially reduce crop yields. Here, we reveal a mechanism to reduce plant arsenic accumulation and toxicity. Benzoxazinoids, a dominant class of specialized metabolites (also called secondary metabolites) produced by cereals such as wheat and maize, can reduce arsenic uptake and improve plant performance in the greenhouse and in the field. Furthermore, benzoxazinoid exudation into the soil enhances the performance of subsequent plant generations in soils with high levels of arsenic. This work expands the available genetically encoded resistance strategies to stabilize crop productivity in polluted agroecosystems.
Abstract
By releasing specialized metabolites, plants modify their environment. Whether and how specialized metabolites protect plants against toxic levels of trace elements is not well understood. We evaluated whether benzoxazinoids, which are released into the soil by major cereals, can confer protection against arsenic toxicity. Benzoxazinoid-producing maize plants performed better in arsenic-contaminated soils than benzoxazinoid-deficient mutants in the greenhouse and the field. Adding benzoxazinoids to the soil restored the protective effect, and the effect persisted to the next crop generation via positive plant–soil feedback. Arsenate levels in the soil and total arsenic levels in the roots were lower in the presence of benzoxazinoids. Thus, the protective effect of benzoxazinoids is likely soil-mediated and includes changes in soil arsenic speciation and root accumulation. We conclude that exuded specialized metabolites can enhance protection against toxic trace elements via soil-mediated processes and may thereby stabilize crop productivity in polluted agroecosystems.
See https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2314261121
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