摘要
Cadmium （Cd） is a toxic heavy metal that has no known biological functions except in some marine diatoms, such as Thalassiosira weissflogii, which can use Cd as a catalytic metal atom in their carbonic anhydrase, presumably conferring an adaptive advantage for diatoms that grow fast in the zinc-poor environment of the ocean surface （Xu et al., 2008）. In the terrestrial environment, Cd is known as a notorious toxin, causing phytotoxicity and human diseases such as renal dysfunction, osteoporosis, and cancers. The best known Cd-induced disease, Itai-itai （renal tubular osteomalacia）, is caused by chronic exposure to Cd via consumption of rice grown in Cd-contaminated paddy soil.
Cadmium （Cd） is a toxic heavy metal that has no known biological functions except in some marine diatoms, such as Thalassiosira weissflogii, which can use Cd as a catalytic metal atom in their carbonic anhydrase, presumably conferring an adaptive advantage for diatoms that grow fast in the zinc-poor environment of the ocean surface （Xu et al., 2008）. In the terrestrial environment, Cd is known as a notorious toxin, causing phytotoxicity and human diseases such as renal dysfunction, osteoporosis, and cancers. The best known Cd-induced disease, Itai-itai （renal tubular osteomalacia）, is caused by chronic exposure to Cd via consumption of rice grown in Cd-contaminated paddy soil.
基金
Research in our group is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （grant 31520103914） and the special fund for agro- scientific research in the public interest （grant 201403015）.
