Open Access

REVIEW

Cadmium Hyperaccumulation in Plants: Mechanistic Insights and Ecological Implications

Mingwei Yue¹, Shen Rao^1,*, Xiaomeng Liu¹, Wei Yang², Yuan Yuan¹, Feng Xu², Shuiyuan Cheng^1,*

1 School of Modern Industry for Selenium Science and Engineering, National R&D Center for Se-rich Agricultural Products Processing Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, 430023, China
2 College of Horticulture and Gardening, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434023, China

* Corresponding Authors: Shen Rao. Email: ; Shuiyuan Cheng. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Plant and Environments)

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2025, 94(11), 3319-3348. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2025.073602

Received 22 September 2025; Accepted 27 October 2025; Issue published 01 December 2025

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd), a highly toxic heavy metal, represents a major global environmental threat due to its widespread dispersion through anthropogenic activities. Environmental Cd contamination poses significant risks to living organisms, including humans, animals, and plants. Certain plant species have evolved Cd hyperaccumulating capabilities to adapt to high-Cd habitats, playing critical roles in phytoremediation strategies. Here we review the biodiversity and biogeography of Cd hyperaccumulators, the underlying mechanisms of Cd uptake and accumulation, and the ecological impacts of hyperaccumulation. The major points are the following: twenty-four Cd hyperaccumulator species have been documented, with shoot Cd concentrations ranging from 170–9000 mg·kg⁻¹; core mechanisms involve root uptake by metal transporters (e.g., heavy-metal ATPases, and natural resistance-associated macrophage proteins), ligand-facilitated translocation via organic acids and phytochelatins, and ABC transporter-mediated vacuolar sequestration. Cd hyperaccumulators exert complex effects on rhizosphere microbiota, herbivores, and neighboring plant communities. Future research priorities should focus on the functional characterization of Cd transporters and regulatory genes, and comprehensive assessments of the ecological consequences of Cd accumulation in plants.

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Keywords

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