Ammonium mitigates cadmium toxicity by activating the bZIP20-APX2/CATA transcriptional module in rice seedlings in an ABA-dependent manner.

The amelioration of cadmium (Cd) toxicity in plants by ammonium (NH) has been widely investigated. However, the molecular mechanisms underpinning this amelioration have remained ambiguous. Here, we found that NH significantly reduces Cd accumulation and enhances antioxidant capacity by increasing ABA accumulation, which, in turn, improves Cd tolerance in rice seedlings.