Calcium Pumps in Rhododendrons: How Gene Copies Help Plants Thrive in High-Calcium Karst Landscapes
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Summary
<img src="https://www.newswise.com/legacy/image.php?image=https://media.newswise.com/pio/articles/857586/6ae3416107401_Snipaste_2026-10-29_20-48-57_857586.jpg&width=100&height=150" alt="Newswise image" />Calcium (Ca) is essential for plant growth, but too much of it can be toxic. In the karst regions of southwestern China, soils are notoriously rich in calcium--posing a serious challenge for native plants. Now, researchers have uncovered how members of the Rhododendron genus have evolved an extraordinary genetic strategy to cope with this high-calcium stress. By analyzing the genomes and transcriptomes of multiple Rhododendron species, the team discovered that a family of calcium-efflux proteins called Ca²⁺-ATPases (CAPs) has undergone massive amplification in species growing in karst environments. These duplicated genes, particularly those in the CAP-a subfamily, appear to function as a "storage repository"--silent under normal conditions but ready to be activated when stress strikes. The findings reveal new insights into how plants balance growth and stress responses in challenging environments.
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