背景回顾：Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most toxic heavy metals faced by plants and threatens human health through the food chain. 

提出问题：There are many similarities across species in response to cadmium stress, yet understanding of the underlying conserved molecular mechanisms is still lacking. 

主要研究：Here, we obtained a conserved set of genes involved in the response to Cd stress in typical monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants (Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa) based on analyses of the temporal-spatial expression patterns and phylogenetic relationships of genes and found that the underlying molecular pathways are functionally conserved. 

结果1-镉胁迫的基因响应网络：We also developed a workflow using multi-omics data from over 10,000 samples of over 80 projects and built a co-functional network of genes involved in the response to Cd stress with 7,586 conserved functions. 

结果2-线粒体及其调控因子：We showed that mitostasis is the central biological hub underlying the response to Cd stress. The differential enrichment of transcription factor-binding sites in regulatory networks was mainly observed for a few conserved regulators of Cd stress. Population-based analyses revealed that networks of mitostasis-related genes driven by these regulators (e.g. bHLH) are conserved across the plants. 

结论：Our works provide new insights into the cross-species conserved mechanisms underlying the response to Cd stress using multi-omics data.

 作者投稿 

重金属镉（Cd）是一种剧毒、不可被生物降解的环境污染物。土壤中镉浓度过高会干扰植物的光合作用、呼吸作用和养分吸收等生理活动，影响植物正常的生长发育，从而导致作物产量大幅度降低，造成重大经济损失。同时，镉可在生物体中富集，通过食物链对人体健康造成重大威胁。在植物中，许多物种应对镉胁迫的反应是相似的。然而，植物调节镉胁迫反应的保守分子机制尚不明确。

近日，上海交通大学农业与生物学院王旭研究团队在Journal of Hazardous Materials发表题为“Mitostasis is the central biological hub underlying the response of plants to cadmium stress” 研究论文。

本研究基于基因的时空特异性和系统发育关系，获得了典型单、双子叶植物（水稻、拟南芥）中响应镉胁迫的保守基因集，并发现其分子通路在物种间功能保守。随后，利用来自80多个项目中近万个样本的多组学数据，构建了响应镉胁迫基因的协同功能网络。协同功能网络包含物种间保守的7586个功能（3525个潜在新功能），其中线粒体稳态居于响应镉胁迫的中心生物枢纽。通过对不同时空下转录因子结合位点的差异富集分析，发现了少数保守的镉胁迫反应调控因子（例如ERF, bHLH, MADS）。基于种群分析验证了这些调控因子（如bHLH）能够驱动的线粒体稳态相关网络。本研究为揭示响应镉胁迫的跨物种保守机制提供了新见解。

上海交通大学农业与生物学院助理研究员刘默洋为论文第一作者，博士后王玉东和长聘教轨副教授王旭为论文共同通讯作者。博士研究生郭超程、本科生黄卓然和谢可暄参与了研究工作。该研究得到了国家自然科学基金和上海市扬帆计划等项目资助。王旭研究团队自2019年组建以来在Cell Reports、The Crop Journal、Plant Communications、Journal of Advanced Research、Journal of Hazardous Materials等期刊发表多篇研究论文。课题组长期招募对线粒体稳态调控和系统生物学感兴趣的博士后和硕士博士研究生。

 王 旭