The Response of Thiols to Cadmium Stress in Spinach (Spinacia Oleracea L.)

The aim of this study is to examine the thiol species for the high cadmium (Cd) tolerance of spinach and provide information for the improvement of soil utilization. The spinach was cultured in aqueous solution with concentrations of Cd ranging from 1 to 9 mg/L. The time responses of glutathione (GSH) and phytochelatins (PCs, PC(2)-PC(4)) in the tissues of spinach were monitored via HPLC–MS/MS, and the concentrations of Cd in the roots, shoots and leaves were detected by ICP–OES. Data were analyzed via one-way ANOVA and Spearman correlation to assess the relationships among the types of thiols and the changes between types of thiols and Cd. As Cd stress increased, Cd concentrations in tissues also increased. The total thiol contents responded to Cd stresses with correlations r ranging from 0.394 (root), 0.520 (shoot) to 0.771 (leaf) (p < 0.01). GSH and PC(3) were dominant on most of the days under Cd stress. The correlation r between improvements in GSH and increments of Cd concentration in roots was −0.808 (p < 0.01), and r between changes in PC(3) and changes in Cd concentrations in leaves was −0.503 (p < 0.01). No correlation can be found between GSH and the subtypes of PCs in shoots, but strong positive correlations within the subtypes of PCs. Thiols can be produced in different tissues of spinach, while the shoots are only a transport tissue for GSH.