Novel Phosphate Transporter-B PvPTB1;1/1;2 Contribute to Efficient Phosphate Uptake and Arsenic Accumulation in As-Hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata

Arsenic (As) contamination in soil poses a potential threat to human health via crop uptake. As-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata serves as a model plant to study As uptake and associated mechanisms. This study focuses on a novel P/AsV transport system mediated by low-affinity phosphate transporter-B 1 family (PTB1) in P. vittata. Here, we identified two plasma-membrane-localized PTB1 genes, PvPTB1;1/1;2, in vascular plants for the first time, which were 4.4–40-fold greater in expression in P. vittata than in other Pteris ferns. Functional complementation of a yeast P-uptake mutant and enhanced P accumulation in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana confirmed their role in P uptake. Moreover, the expression of PvPTB1;1/1;2 facilitated the transport and accumulation of As in both yeast and A. thaliana shoots, demonstrating a comparable AsV uptake capacity. Microdissection-qPCR analysis and single-cell transcriptome analysis collectively suggest that PvPTB1;1/1;2 are specifically expressed in the epidermal cells of P. vittata roots. PTB1 may play a pivotal role in efficient P recycling during phytate secretion and hydrolysis in P. vittata roots. In summary, the dual P transport mechanisms consisting of high-affinity Pht1 and low-affinity PTB1 may have contributed to the efficient P/As uptake in P. vittata, thereby contributing to efficient phytoremediation for As-contaminated soils.