Response mechanism of Pteris vittata L. under long-term combined heavy metal stress based on transcriptome analysis

The response mechanism of plants under long-term heavy metal stress is not fully understood. This study compared and analyzed Pteris vittata L. of the mining areas, which significantly enriched multiple heavy metals (As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Zn, Cu, Sn, Sb, Cr), with those in non mining areas. The transcriptome analysis results showed that compared with non mining areas, there were 1226 genes upregulated and 1801 genes downregulated in the mining area. Functional enrichment analysis of these differentially expressed genes indicates that under long-term heavy metal stress, gene expression in related biological pathways such as Pteris vittata L. phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, starch and sucrose metabolism is inhibited. However, Pteris vittata L. also enhances its resistance to stress by upregulating the expression of genes related to these pathways, such as HCT and POD, enabling it to adapt to heavy metal pollution environments.