Molecular mechanisms of heavy metal uptake, accumulation, and tolerance in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas): implications for phytoremediation and food safety.
Saved in:
| Title: | Molecular mechanisms of heavy metal uptake, accumulation, and tolerance in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas): implications for phytoremediation and food safety. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Shahid, Muhammad1,2 (AUTHOR), Altaf, Muhammad Mohsin3 (AUTHOR), Altaf, Muhammad Ahsan4 (AUTHOR), Ahmad, Rafiq1,2 (AUTHOR), Khan, Kashif1,2 (AUTHOR), Si, Cheng-cheng1,2 (AUTHOR) ccsi@hainanu.edu.cn |
| Source: | Plant & Soil. Apr2026, Vol. 521 Issue 2, p1109-1143. 35p. |
| Subjects: | Metal ion absorption & adsorption, Phytoremediation, Carrier proteins, Food safety, Metabolic detoxification, Sweet potatoes, Transcription factors, Antioxidants |
| Abstract: | Background and aims: Soil contamination with heavy metals (HMs) is a major threat to agricultural productivity, ecosystem health, and food safety. Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) accumulates HMs in roots and tubers, affecting crop quality and its phytoremediation potential. This review summarizes molecular and physiological mechanisms of HM uptake, transport, sequestration, detoxification, and tolerance. It also highlights research gaps, particularly in transporter kinetics and cultivar-specific tolerance, and suggests priorities for future work to improve phytoremediation and food safety. Results: This review integrates knowledge on HM uptake pathways in sweet potato, including apoplastic and symplastic transport. These processes are mediated by zinc/iron-regulated transporter-like proteins (ZIPs), HM adenosine triphosphatases (HMAs), and metal tolerance proteins (MTPs). Ionic mimicry allows HMs to enter cells, which are detoxified via vacuolar storage, chelation with metallothioneins and phytochelatins, and conjugation by glutathione S-transferases (GSTs). Sweet potato mitigates oxidative stress through enzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase) and non-enzymatic antioxidants (glutathione, ascorbate, tocopherols). Stress-related gene expression is regulated by transcription factors such as basic leucine zipper (bZIP), myeloblastosis (MYB), WRKY-domain containing (WRKY), and NAC (NAM-ATAF-CUC2). Conclusion: Despite progress in understanding HM tolerance, food safety remains a concern because HMs can accumulate in edible tissues. CRISPR-based genome editing and agronomic practices, including biochar amendment, intercropping, and genotype screening, offer opportunities to develop low HM-accumulating or tolerant cultivars. Further studies on transporter kinetics, transcriptional regulation, and cultivar-specific tolerance are needed to improve the effectiveness and safety of these strategies. Highlights: Studied molecular mechanisms of heavy metal uptake and detoxification in sweet potato. Described importance of heavy metals transporter genes and chelators. Explained transcriptional and antioxidant resistance to heavy metals stress. Highlighted the role of sweet potato in food safety and phytoremediation of heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Plant & Soil is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
|---|---|
| Header | DbId: egs DbLabel: Engineering Source An: 193713848 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
| IllustrationInfo | |
| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Molecular mechanisms of heavy metal uptake, accumulation, and tolerance in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas): implications for phytoremediation and food safety. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Shahid%2C+Muhammad%22">Shahid, Muhammad</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Altaf%2C+Muhammad+Mohsin%22">Altaf, Muhammad Mohsin</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Altaf%2C+Muhammad+Ahsan%22">Altaf, Muhammad Ahsan</searchLink><relatesTo>4</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ahmad%2C+Rafiq%22">Ahmad, Rafiq</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Khan%2C+Kashif%22">Khan, Kashif</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Si%2C+Cheng-cheng%22">Si, Cheng-cheng</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> ccsi@hainanu.edu.cn</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Plant+%26+Soil%22">Plant & Soil</searchLink>. Apr2026, Vol. 521 Issue 2, p1109-1143. 35p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Metal+ion+absorption+%26+adsorption%22">Metal ion absorption & adsorption</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Phytoremediation%22">Phytoremediation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Carrier+proteins%22">Carrier proteins</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Food+safety%22">Food safety</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Metabolic+detoxification%22">Metabolic detoxification</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sweet+potatoes%22">Sweet potatoes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Transcription+factors%22">Transcription factors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Antioxidants%22">Antioxidants</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Background and aims: Soil contamination with heavy metals (HMs) is a major threat to agricultural productivity, ecosystem health, and food safety. Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) accumulates HMs in roots and tubers, affecting crop quality and its phytoremediation potential. This review summarizes molecular and physiological mechanisms of HM uptake, transport, sequestration, detoxification, and tolerance. It also highlights research gaps, particularly in transporter kinetics and cultivar-specific tolerance, and suggests priorities for future work to improve phytoremediation and food safety. Results: This review integrates knowledge on HM uptake pathways in sweet potato, including apoplastic and symplastic transport. These processes are mediated by zinc/iron-regulated transporter-like proteins (ZIPs), HM adenosine triphosphatases (HMAs), and metal tolerance proteins (MTPs). Ionic mimicry allows HMs to enter cells, which are detoxified via vacuolar storage, chelation with metallothioneins and phytochelatins, and conjugation by glutathione S-transferases (GSTs). Sweet potato mitigates oxidative stress through enzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase) and non-enzymatic antioxidants (glutathione, ascorbate, tocopherols). Stress-related gene expression is regulated by transcription factors such as basic leucine zipper (bZIP), myeloblastosis (MYB), WRKY-domain containing (WRKY), and NAC (NAM-ATAF-CUC2). Conclusion: Despite progress in understanding HM tolerance, food safety remains a concern because HMs can accumulate in edible tissues. CRISPR-based genome editing and agronomic practices, including biochar amendment, intercropping, and genotype screening, offer opportunities to develop low HM-accumulating or tolerant cultivars. Further studies on transporter kinetics, transcriptional regulation, and cultivar-specific tolerance are needed to improve the effectiveness and safety of these strategies. Highlights: Studied molecular mechanisms of heavy metal uptake and detoxification in sweet potato. Described importance of heavy metals transporter genes and chelators. Explained transcriptional and antioxidant resistance to heavy metals stress. Highlighted the role of sweet potato in food safety and phytoremediation of heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Plant & Soil is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=egs&AN=193713848 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1007/s11104-026-08487-7 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 35 StartPage: 1109 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Metal ion absorption & adsorption Type: general – SubjectFull: Phytoremediation Type: general – SubjectFull: Carrier proteins Type: general – SubjectFull: Food safety Type: general – SubjectFull: Metabolic detoxification Type: general – SubjectFull: Sweet potatoes Type: general – SubjectFull: Transcription factors Type: general – SubjectFull: Antioxidants Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Molecular mechanisms of heavy metal uptake, accumulation, and tolerance in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas): implications for phytoremediation and food safety. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Shahid, Muhammad – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Altaf, Muhammad Mohsin – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Altaf, Muhammad Ahsan – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Ahmad, Rafiq – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Khan, Kashif – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Si, Cheng-cheng IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 15 M: 04 Text: Apr2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 0032079X Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 521 – Type: issue Value: 2 Titles: – TitleFull: Plant & Soil Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
