Comparative transcriptome analysis of duckweed (Landoltia punctata) in response to cadmium provides insights into molecular mechanisms underlying hyperaccumulation.

Cadmium (Cd) is a detrimental environmental pollutant. Duckweeds have been considered promising candidates for Cd phytoremediation. Although many physiological studies have been conducted, the molecular mechanisms underlying Cd hyperaccumulation in duckweeds are largely unknown. In this study, clone 6001 of Landoltia punctata, which showed high Cd tolerance, was obtained by large-scale screening of over 200 duckweed clones. Subsequently, its growth, Cd flux, Cd accumulation, and Cd distribution characteristics were investigated. To further explore the global molecular mechanism, a comprehensive transcriptome analysis was performed. For RNA-Seq, samples were treated with 20 μM CdCl