Dark septate endophytes (DSEs) are the typical representatives of root endophytic fungi in
heavy metal (HM)-contaminated environments. However, little is known about their roles in
the HMs tolerance of hosts and the underlying mechanism. Here, we investigated the
biological roles and molecular mechanisms of a DSE strain Falciphora oryzae in alleviating
cadmium (Cd) toxicities in rice. It was found that F. oryzae possessed a capacity of
accumulating Cd in its vacuoles and chlamydospores. During symbiosis, F. oryzae conferred …

Heavy metal (HM) contamination of food crops is a global concern, as it leads to toxicity and
disease in humans and animals through the food chain (Onakpa et al., 2018). In particular,
excessive cadmium (Cd) in rice grains is currently one of the most intractable problems
today, posing severe threats to food security. Therefore, an ecologically safe,
environmentally friendly, effective, and sustainable innovative strategy to reduce Cd
accumulation in rice grains is urgently needed. In natural ecosystems, most plants do not …