Arabidopsis and rice showed a distinct pattern in ZIPs genes expression profile in response to Cd stress

Background Plant ZIP genes represent an important transporter family involved in metal transport. Evidence has implied that some ZIPs may contribute to plant Cd uptake, but a genome-wide examination of ZIPs’ role in Cd tolerance and uptake has rarely been reported. In this study, a genome-wide bioinformatic screening of candidate ZIP genes in Arabidopsis and rice was performed, followed by a systematic determination of their expression profile in response to Cd stress. Typical up-regulated ZIPs genes were then expressed in yeast cells to examine their effect on hosts’ Cd uptake.