Objective Responses to selenium (Se) uptake and translocation of different tea cultivars were studied.

Method Sand culture on Echa No. 1, No. 11, and No. 12 tea plants was conducted to determine the content and transport coefficient of Se, the phosphate transporter protein genes in the roots, and the major chemical components in the leaves under 0 or a stress of 0.05mmol Se·L⁻¹.

Result Without Se addition in the soil, Se content in the roots and stems did not significantly differ among the 3 varieties, but that in the leaves of Echa No. 11 higher than the others. However, with the 0.05mmol·L⁻¹ Se addition, it increased significantly in different parts of the plants of all varieties. Echa No. 1 and No. 12 had significantly more Se than Echa No. 11 in the roots, while Echa No. 12 significantly more than the other two in the stems and leaves. The Se translocation in the aboveground plant parts significantly affected the Se content in the leaves. And the expressions of CsPht1;2a in the roots of the 3 varieties paralleled the Se accumulation. The increased exogenous Se also significantly rose the contents of free amino acids by 34.01%, tea polyphenols by 18.19%, caffeine by 9.82%, and flavonoids by 29.95% in Echa No. 12 (P＜0.05), and caffeine in Echa No. 1 by 24.58% and Echa No. 11 by 6.58% (P＜0.05).

Conclusion The significant differences in Se content in the tea plants of 3 different varieties were attributed primarily to the varied aboveground Se translocation. CsPht1;2a was likely to play a significant role in the Se uptake and translocation as well. The effect of soil Se on the leaf quality of the tea plants grown on the ground, however, varied by the species of the cultivar.