GhSERAT1 enhanced the resistance of cotton to cadmium by maintaining the microscopic integrity of chloroplasts in cotton

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

• GhSERAT1;1 and GhSEART1;2 enhances resistance to Cd 2+ stress in cotton. • GhSERAT1;1 and GhSEART1;2 alleviates ROS accumulation and chloroplast distortion due to Cd 2+ stress. • GhSERAT1;1 and GhSEART1;2 regulates cysteine synthesis. Cysteine metabolism is essential for plants to alleviate cadmium (Cd 2+ ) stress. Investigating the function of serine acetyltransferase (SAT), the pivotal enzyme in cysteine synthesis, in combating Cd 2+ stress is highly significant. This study conducted a bioinformatics analysis of the SAT gene family and identified key candidate genes, GhSERAT1;1 and GhSERAT1;2 , that respond to Cd 2+ stress. Plants subjected to gene silencing of GhSERAT1;1 and GhSERAT1;2 through virus-induced gene silencing exhibited a notable reduction in cysteine and glutathione levels, an increase in intracellular malondialdehyde content, and heightened sensitivity to Cd 2+ stress. Compared with non-silenced plants, those with silenced genes displayed poorer growth conditions, decreased biomass, and more pronounced damage to chloroplast and leaf structures when exposed to Cd 2+ stress. This study integrated the primary enzyme involved in cysteine synthesis with Cd 2+ stress, elucidating the relationship between Cd 2+ and cysteine. These findings significantly enhance our understanding of cysteine synthesis genes and contribute to developing Cd 2+ -resistant plant breeding strategies.