Rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants were inoculated with two species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) - Rhizophagus intraradices (RI) and Funneliformis mosseae (FM) and grown for 60days to ensure strong colonization. Subsequently, a short-term hydroponic experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of AMF on cadmium (Cd) uptake kinetics, subcellular distribution and chemical forms in rice exposed to six Cd levels (0, 0.005, 0.01, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1mM) for three days. The results showed that the uptake kinetics of Cd fitted the Michaelis-Menten model well (R(2)>0.89). AMF significantly decreased the Cd concentrations both in shoots and roots in Cd solutions. Furthermore, the decrement of Cd concentrations by FM was significantly higher than RI treatment in roots. AMF reduced the Cd concentrations markedly in the cell wall fractions at high Cd substrate (≥0.025mM). The main subcellular fraction contributed to Cd detoxification was cell wall at low Cd substrate (<0.05mM), while vacuoles at high Cd substrate (≥0.05mM). Moreover, the concentrations and proportions of Cd in inorganic and water-soluble form also reduced by AMF colonization at high Cd substrate (≥0.05mM), both in shoots and roots. This suggested that AMF could convert Cd into inactive forms which were less toxic. Therefore, AMF could enhance rice resistance to Cd through altering subcellular distribution and chemical forms of Cd in rice.
Keywords: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; Heavy metal; Mechanism; Rice.
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