Genetic analysis of salt tolerance in arabidopsis. Evidence for a critical role of potassium nutrition

GhSOS1, a plasma membrane Na+/H+ antiporter gene from upland cotton, enhances salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana

Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), an important source of natural fiber, can tolerate relatively high salinity and drought stresses. In the present study, a plasma membrane Na⁺/H⁺ antiporter gene, GhSOS1, was cloned from a salt-tolerant genotype of G. hirsutum, Zhong 9807. The expression level of GhSOS1 in cotton roots was significantly upregulated in the presence of high concentrations of NaCl (200 mM), while its transcript abundance was increased when exposed to low temperature and drought stresses. Localization analysis using onion epidermal cells showed that the GhSOS1 protein was localized to the plasma membrane. The overexpression of GhSOS1 in Arabidopsis enhanced tolerance to salt stress, as indicated by a lower MDA content and decreased Na⁺/K⁺ ratio in transgenic plants. Moreover, the transcript levels of stress-related genes were significantly higher in GhSOS1 overexpression lines than in wild-type plants under salt treatment. Hence, GhSOS1 may be a potential target gene for enhancing salt tolerance in transgenic plants.

The AtrbohF-dependent regulation of ROS signaling is required for melatonin-induced salinity tolerance in Arabidopsis

Although several literatures confirmed the beneficial roles of exogenous melatonin in the enhancement of salinity tolerance in plants, whether or how endogenous melatonin confers plant salinity tolerance is still elusive. In the report, we observed impaired melatonin level and salinity hypersensitivity in atsnat, the Arabidopsis melatonin synthesis mutant. Above hypersensitivity was rescued by melatonin or hydrogen peroxide. Meanwhile, melatonin-mediated salt tolerance in wild-type was abolished by an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, suggesting the possible role of NADPH oxidase-dependent reactive oxygen species (ROS). Genetic evidence further showed that the rapid stimulated RbohF transcripts and production of ROS elicited by melatonin in stressed wild-type plants were largely abolished by the mutation of AtrbohF. Meanwhile, salinity sensitivity of atrbohF mutant was not altered by melatonin, which was consistent with the higher Na⁺ content and the resulting greater Na⁺/K⁺ ratio, compared with those in wild-type plants. Further changes of SOS1, SOS2, and SOS3 transcripts suggested that the melatonin-triggered SOS-mediated Na⁺ efflux might be mediated by AtrbohF-dependent ROS. The addition of melatonin could intensify the increased antioxidant defence in stressed wild-type but not in atrbohF mutant, both of which were confirmed by the histochemical staining for ROS production and lipid peroxidation during the later period of stress. Collectively, our genetic and molecular evidence revealed that the AtrbohF-dependent ROS signaling is required for melatonin-induced salinity tolerance via the reestablishment of ion and redox homeostasis.

Salt stress responsiveness of a wild cotton species (Gossypium klotzschianum) based on transcriptomic analysis

Cotton is a pioneer of saline land crop, while salt stress still causes its growth inhibition and fiber production decrease. Phenotype identification showed better salt tolerance of a wild diploid cotton species Gossypium klotzschianum. To elucidate the salt-tolerant mechanisms in G. klotzschianum, we firstly detected the changes in hormones, H₂O₂ and glutathione (GSSH and GSH), then investigated the gene expression pattern of roots and leaves treated with 300 mM NaCl for 0, 3, 12, 48 h, and each time control by RNA-seq on the Illumina-Solexa platform. Physiological determination proved that the significant increase in hormone ABA at 48 h, while that in H₂O₂ was at 12 h, likewise, the GSH content decrease at 48 h and the GSSH content increase at 48 h, under salt stress. In total, 37,278 unigenes were identified from the transcriptome data, 8,312 and 6,732 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were discovered to be involved in salt stress tolerance in roots and leaves, respectively. Gene function annotation and expression analysis elucidated hormone biosynthesis and signal transduction, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and salt overly sensitive (SOS) signal transduction related genes revealed the important roles of them in signal transmission, oxidation balance and ion homeostasis in response to salinity stress. This is a report which focuses on primary response to highly salty stress (upto 300 mM NaCl) in cotton using a wild diploid Gossypium species, broadening our understanding of the salt tolerance mechanism in cotton and laying a solid foundation of salt resistant for the genetic improvement of upland cotton with the resistance to salt stress.

Low-cesium rice: mutation in OsSOS2 reduces radiocesium in rice grains

In Japan, radiocesium contamination in foods has become of great concern and it is a primary issue to reduce grain radiocesium concentration in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Here, we report a low-cesium rice mutant 1 (lcs1) with the radiocesium concentration in grain about half that in the wild-type cultivar. Genetic analyses revealed that a mutation in OsSOS2, which encodes a serine/threonine-protein kinase required for the salt overly sensitive (SOS) pathway in plants, is responsible for the decreased cesium (Cs) concentrations in lcs1. Physiological analyses showed that Cs+ uptake by lcs1 roots was significantly decreased under low-potassium (K+) conditions in the presence of sodium (Na+) (low K+/Na+). The transcript levels of several K+ and Na+ transporter genes, such as OsHAK1, OsHAK5, OsAKT1, and OsHKT2;1 were significantly down-regulated in lcs1 grown at low K+/Na+. The decreased Cs+ uptake in lcs1 might be closely related to the lower expression of these genes due to the K+/Na+ imbalance in the lcs1 roots caused by the OsSOS2 mutation. Since the lcs1 plant had no significant negative effects on agronomic traits when grown in radiocesium-contaminated paddy fields, this mutant could be used directly in agriculture for reducing radiocesium in rice grains.

Beneficial Rhizobacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SQR9 Induces Plant Salt Tolerance through Spermidine Production

The inoculation of plants with plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium has been an effective strategy for enhancing plant salt tolerance to diminish the loss of agricultural productivity caused by salt stress; however, the signal transmitted from bacteria to the plant under salt stress is poorly understood. In this study, the salt tolerance of Arabidopsis thaliana and Zea mays was enhanced by inoculation with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SQR9. Using dialysis bags with different molecular weight cutoffs, we sorted through the molecules secreted by SQR9 and found that spermidine is responsible for enhancing plant salt tolerance. An SQR9 ΔspeB mutant deficient in spermidine production failed to induce plant salt tolerance. However, the induction of plant salt tolerance was disrupted by mutating genes involved in reduced glutathione (GSH) biosynthesis and the salt overly sensitive pathway in Arabidopsis. Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, this study demonstrated that spermidine produced by SQR9 leads to increased glutamine synthetase and glutathione reductase gene expression, leading to increased levels of GSH, which is critical for scavenging reactive oxygen species. SQR9-derived spermidine also upregulates the expression of NHX1 and NHX7, which sequesters Na⁺ into vacuoles and expels Na⁺ from the cell, thereby reducing ion toxicity.

Genomics, Physiology, and Molecular Breeding Approaches for Improving Salt Tolerance

Salt stress reduces land and water productivity and contributes to poverty and food insecurity. Increased salinization caused by human practices and climate change is progressively reducing agriculture productivity despite escalating calls for more food. Plant responses to salt stress are well understood, involving numerous critical processes that are each controlled by multiple genes. Knowledge of the critical mechanisms controlling salt uptake and exclusion from functioning tissues, signaling of salt stress, and the arsenal of protective metabolites is advancing. However, little progress has been made in developing salt-tolerant varieties of crop species using standard (but slow) breeding approaches. The genetic diversity available within cultivated crops and their wild relatives provides rich sources for trait and gene discovery that has yet to be sufficiently utilized. Transforming this knowledge into modern approaches using genomics and molecular tools for precision breeding will accelerate the development of tolerant cultivars and help sustain food production.

ZxAKT1 is essential for K+ uptake and K+ /Na+ homeostasis in the succulent xerophyte Zygophyllum xanthoxylum

The inward-rectifying K⁺ channel AKT1 constitutes an important pathway for K⁺ acquisition in plant roots. In glycophytes, excessive accumulation of Na⁺ is accompanied by K⁺ deficiency under salt stress. However, in the succulent xerophyte Zygophyllum xanthoxylum, which exhibits excellent adaptability to adverse environments, K⁺ concentration remains at a relatively constant level despite increased levels of Na⁺ under salinity and drought conditions. In this study, the contribution of ZxAKT1 to maintaining K⁺ and Na⁺ homeostasis in Z. xanthoxylum was investigated. Expression of ZxAKT1 rescued the K⁺ -uptake-defective phenotype of yeast strain CY162, suppressed the salt-sensitive phenotype of yeast strain G19, and complemented the low-K⁺ -sensitive phenotype of Arabidopsis akt1 mutant, indicating that ZxAKT1 functions as an inward-rectifying K⁺ channel. ZxAKT1 was predominantly expressed in roots, and was induced under high concentrations of either KCl or NaCl. By using RNA interference technique, we found that ZxAKT1-silenced plants exhibited stunted growth compared to wild-type Z. xanthoxylum. Further experiments showed that ZxAKT1-silenced plants exhibited a significant decline in net uptake of K⁺ and Na⁺ , resulting in decreased concentrations of K⁺ and Na⁺ , as compared to wild-type Z. xanthoxylum grown under 50 mm NaCl. Compared with wild-type, the expression levels of genes encoding several transporters/channels related to K⁺ /Na⁺ homeostasis, including ZxSKOR, ZxNHX, ZxSOS1 and ZxHKT1;1, were reduced in various tissues of a ZxAKT1-silenced line. These findings suggest that ZxAKT1 not only plays a crucial role in K⁺ uptake but also functions in modulating Na⁺ uptake and transport systems in Z. xanthoxylum, thereby affecting its normal growth.

Overexpression of PP2A-C5 that encodes the catalytic subunit 5 of protein phosphatase 2A in Arabidopsis confers better root and shoot development under salt conditions

Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is an enzyme consisting of three subunits: a scaffolding A subunit, a regulatory B subunit and a catalytic C subunit. PP2As were shown to play diverse roles in eukaryotes. In this study, the function of the Arabidopsis PP2A-C5 gene that encodes the catalytic subunit 5 of PP2A was studied using both loss-of-function and gain-of-function analyses. Loss-of-function mutant pp2a-c5-1 displayed more impaired growth during root and shoot development, whereas overexpression of PP2A-C5 conferred better root and shoot growth under different salt treatments, indicating that PP2A-C5 plays an important role in plant growth under salt conditions. Double knockout mutants of pp2a-c5-1 and salt overly sensitive (sos) mutants sos1-1, sos2-2 or sos3-1 showed additive sensitivity to NaCl, indicating that PP2A-C5 functions in a pathway different from the SOS signalling pathway. Using yeast two-hybrid analysis, four vacuolar membrane chloride channel (CLC) proteins, AtCLCa, AtCLCb, AtCLCc and AtCLCg, were found to interact with PP2A-C5. Moreover, overexpression of AtCLCc leads to increased salt tolerance and Cl^- accumulation in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. These data indicate that PP2A-C5-mediated better growth under salt conditions might involve up-regulation of CLC activities on vacuolar membranes and that PP2A-C5 could be used for improving salt tolerance in crops.

Hyperactive mutant of a wheat plasma membrane Na+/H+ antiporter improves the growth and salt tolerance of transgenic tobacco

Wheat SOS1 (TaSOS1) activity could be relieved upon deletion of the C-terminal 168 residues (the auto-inhibitory domain). This truncated form of wheat SOS1 (TaSOS1-974) was shown to increase compensation (compared to wild-type TaSOS1) for the salt sensitivity of a yeast mutant strain, AXT3K, via increased Na+ transportation out of cells during salinity stress. Expression of the plasma membrane proteins TaSOS1-974 or TaSOS1 improved the growth of transgenic tobacco plants compared with wild-type plants under normal conditions. However, plants expressing TaSOS1-974 grew better than TaSOS1-transformed plants. Upon salinity stress, Na+ efflux and K+ influx rates in the roots of transgenic plants expressing TaSOS1-974 or TaSOS1 were greater than those of wild-type plants. Furthermore, compared to TaSOS1-transgenic plants, TaSOS1-974-expressing roots showed faster Na+ efflux and K+ influx, resulting in less Na+ and more K+ accumulation in TaSOS1-974-transgenic plants compared to TaSOS1-transgenic and wild-type plants. TaSOS1-974-expressing plants had the lowest MDA content and electrolyte leakage among all tested plants, indicating that TaSOS1-974 might protect the plasma membrane against oxidative damage generated by salt stress. Overall, TaSOS1-974 conferred higher salt tolerance in transgenic plants compared to TaSOS1. Consistent with this result, transgenic plants expressing TaSOS1-974 showed a better growth performance than TaSOS1-expressing and wild-type plants under saline conditions.

Genome interrogation for novel salinity tolerant Arabidopsis mutants

Soil salinity is becoming an increasingly large problem in agriculture. In this study, we have investigated whether a capacity to withstand salinity can be induced in the salinity sensitive plant species Arabidopsis thaliana, and whether it can be maintained in subsequent generations. To this end, we have used zinc finger artificial transcription factor (ZF-ATFs) mediated genome interrogation. Already within a relatively small collection Arabidopsis lines expressing ZF-ATFs, we found 41 lines that were tolerant to 100 mM NaCl. Furthermore, ZF-ATF encoding gene constructs rescued from the most strongly salinity tolerant lines were indeed found to act as dominant and heritable agents for salinity tolerance. Altogether, our data provide evidence that a silent capacity to withstand normally lethal levels of salinity exists in Arabidopsis and can be evoked relatively easily by in trans acting transcription factors like ZF-ATFs.

Mechanisms and Physiological Roles of the CBL-CIPK Networking System in Arabidopsis thaliana

Calcineurin B-like protein (CBL)-CBL-interacting protein kinase (CIPK) network is one of the vital regulatory mechanisms which decode calcium signals triggered by environmental stresses. Although the complicated regulation mechanisms and some novel functions of CBL-CIPK signaling network in plants need to be further elucidated, numerous advances have been made in its roles involved in the abiotic stresses. This review chiefly introduces the progresses about protein interaction, classification and expression pattern of different CBLs and CIPKs in Arabidopsis thaliana, summarizes the physiological roles of CBL-CIPK pathway while pointing out some new research ideas in the future, and finally presents some unique perspectives for the further study. The review might provide new insights into the functional characterization of CBL-CIPK pathway in Arabidopsis, and contribute to a deeper understanding of CBL-CIPK network in other plants or stresses.

Genomics Approaches For Improving Salinity Stress Tolerance in Crop Plants

Salinity is one of the major factors which reduces crop production worldwide. Plant responses to salinity are highly complex and involve a plethora of genes. Due to its multigenicity, it has been difficult to attain a complete understanding of how plants respond to salinity. Genomics has progressed tremendously over the past decade and has played a crucial role towards providing necessary knowledge for crop improvement. Through genomics, we have been able to identify and characterize the genes involved in salinity stress response, map out signaling pathways and ultimately utilize this information for improving the salinity tolerance of existing crops. The use of new tools, such as gene pyramiding, in genetic engineering and marker assisted breeding has tremendously enhanced our ability to generate stress tolerant crops. Genome editing technologies such as Zinc finger nucleases, TALENs and CRISPR/Cas9 also provide newer and faster avenues for plant biologists to generate precisely engineered crops.

Role of Cyclic Nucleotide Gated Channels in Stress Management in Plants

Tolerance of plants to a number of biotic and abiotic stresses such as pathogen and herbivore attack, drought, salinity, cold and nutritional limitations is ensued by complex multimodule signaling pathways. The outcome of this complex signaling pathways results in adaptive responses by restoring the cellular homeostasis and thus promoting survival. Functions of many plant cation transporter and channel protein families such as glutamate receptor homologs (GLRs), cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel (CNGC) have been implicated in providing biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. Ion homeostasis regulated by several transporters and channels is one of the crucial parameters for the optimal growth, development and survival of all living organisms. The CNGC family members are known to be involved in the uptake of cations such as Na(+), K(+) and Ca(2+) and regulate plant growth and development. Detail functional genomics approaches have given an emerging picture of CNGCs wherein these protein are believed to play crucial role in pathways related to cellular ion homeostasis, development and as a 'guard' in defense against biotic and abiotic challenges. Here, we discuss the current knowledge of role of CNGCs in mediating stress management and how they aid plants in survival under adverse conditions.

Insights into root structure and function of Bassia indica: water redistribution and element dispersion

In the last few decades, research has increasingly been aimed at clarifying how root system architecture, physiology and function are related to environmental drivers. 'Negative halotropism' has been defined as the alteration of root growth direction to avoid salinity. We suggested that 'positive halotropism' may be found in halophytes relying on salinity for optimal growth. Investigating root structure of the halophyte Bassia indica (Wight) A. J. Scott, we have shown that positive halotropism can explain the growth of horizontal roots towards optimal salt concentrations along a soil salinity gradient. Here we tested three hypotheses. First, that development of B. indica roots depends on a trade-off between optimal nutrient supply and saline concentrations: results of split-root-experiment showed a preference for sand enriched with nutrients and poor in salts. Second, that shallow horizontal roots enable B. indica to forage for nutrient-rich patches. Results demonstrated that bulk elemental analysis was not consistent with tissue-specific elemental analysis, and this can be explained by substantial variability of element composition of particular root segments. Third, we hypothesised that B. indica redistributes water horizontally through shallow horizontal roots. Results showed that back flow of water from the tap root towards tip root was possible in horizontal roots in saline microenvironment.

Salt stress response triggers activation of the jasmonate signaling pathway leading to inhibition of cell elongation in Arabidopsis primary root

Salinity is a severe abiotic stress that affects irrigated croplands. Jasmonate (JA) is an essential hormone involved in plant defense against herbivory and in responses to abiotic stress. However, the relationship between the salt stress response and the JA pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana is not well understood at molecular and cellular levels. In this work we investigated the activation of JA signaling by NaCl and its effect on primary root growth. We found that JA-responsive JAZ genes were up-regulated by salt stress in a COI1-dependent manner in the roots. Using a JA-Ile sensor we demonstrated that activation of JA signaling by salt stress occurs in the meristematic zone and stele of the differentiation zone and that this activation was dependent on JAR1 and proteasome functions. Another finding is that the elongation zone (EZ) and its cortical cells were significantly longer in JA-related mutants (AOS, COI1, JAZ3 and MYC2/3/4 genes) compared with wild-type plants under salt stress, revealing the participation of the canonical JA signaling pathway. Noteworthy, osmotic stress - a component of salt stress - inhibited cell elongation in the EZ in a COI1-dependent manner. We propose that salt stress triggers activation of the JA signaling pathway followed by inhibition of cell elongation in the EZ. We have shown that salt-inhibited root growth partially involves the jasmonate signaling pathway in Arabidopsis.

A New Insight of Salt Stress Signaling in Plant

Many studies have been conducted to understand plant stress responses to salinity because irrigation-dependent salt accumulation compromises crop productivity and also to understand the mechanism through which some plants thrive under saline conditions. As mechanistic understanding has increased during the last decades, discovery-oriented approaches have begun to identify genetic determinants of salt tolerance. In addition to osmolytes, osmoprotectants, radical detoxification, ion transport systems, and changes in hormone levels and hormone-guided communications, the Salt Overly Sensitive (SOS) pathway has emerged to be a major defense mechanism. However, the mechanism by which the components of the SOS pathway are integrated to ultimately orchestrate plant-wide tolerance to salinity stress remains unclear. A higher-level control mechanism has recently emerged as a result of recognizing the involvement of GIGANTEA (GI), a protein involved in maintaining the plant circadian clock and control switch in flowering. The loss of GI function confers high tolerance to salt stress via its interaction with the components of the SOS pathway. The mechanism underlying this observation indicates the association between GI and the SOS pathway and thus, given the key influence of the circadian clock and the pathway on photoperiodic flowering, the association between GI and SOS can regulate growth and stress tolerance. In this review, we will analyze the components of the SOS pathways, with emphasis on the integration of components recognized as hallmarks of a halophytic lifestyle.

Transcriptome profiling of the salt-stress response in Triticum aestivum cv. Kharchia Local

Kharchia Local wheat variety is an Indian salt tolerant land race known for its tolerance to salinity. However, there is a lack of detailed information regarding molecular mechanism imparting tolerance to high salinity in this bread wheat. In the present study, differential root transcriptome analysis identifying salt stress responsive gene networks and functional annotation under salt stress in Kharchia Local was performed. A total of 453,882 reads were obtained after quality filtering, using Roche 454-GS FLX Titanium sequencing technology. From these reads 22,241 ESTs were generated out of which, 17,911 unigenes were obtained. A total of 14,898 unigenes were annotated against nr protein database. Seventy seven transcription factors families in 826 unigenes and 11,002 SSRs in 6,939 unigenes were identified. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database identified 310 metabolic pathways. The expression pattern of few selected genes was compared during the time course of salt stress treatment between salt-tolerant (Kharchia Local) and susceptible (HD2687). The transcriptome data is the first report, which offers an insight into the mechanisms and genes involved in salt tolerance. This information can be used to improve salt tolerance in elite wheat cultivars and to develop tolerant germplasm for other cereal crops.

Exploring novel genetic sources of salinity tolerance in rice through molecular and physiological characterization

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Agricultural productivity is increasingly being affected by the build-up of salinity in soils and water worldwide. The genetic base of salt-tolerant rice donors being used in breeding is relatively narrow and needs broadening to breed varieties with wider adaptation to salt-affected areas. This study evaluated a large set of rice accessions of diverse origins to identify and characterize novel sources of salt tolerance.

METHODS

Diversity analysis was performed on 107 germplasm accessions using a genome-wide set of 376 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, along with characterization of allelic diversity at the major quantitative trait locus Saltol Sixty-nine accessions were further evaluated for physiological traits likely associated with responses to salt stress during the seedling stage.

KEY RESULTS

Three major clusters corresponding to the indica, aus and aromatic subgroups were identified. The largest group was indica, with the salt-tolerant Pokkali accessions in one sub-cluster, while a set of Bangladeshi landraces, including Akundi, Ashfal, Capsule, Chikirampatnai and Kutipatnai, were in a different sub-cluster. A distinct aus group close to indica contained the salt-tolerant landrace Kalarata, while a separate aromatic group closer to japonica rice contained a number of traditional, but salt-sensitive Bangladeshi landraces. These accessions have different alleles at the Saltol locus. Seven landraces - Akundi, Ashfal, Capsule, Chikirampatnai, Jatai Balam, Kalarata and Kutipatnai - accumulated less Na and relatively more K, maintaining a lower Na/K ratio in leaves. They effectively limit sodium transport to the shoot.

CONCLUSIONS

New salt-tolerant landraces were identified that are genetically and physiologically distinct from known donors. These landraces can be used to develop better salt-tolerant varieties and could provide new sources of quantitative trait loci/alleles for salt tolerance for use in molecular breeding. The diversity observed within this set and in other donors suggests multiple mechanisms that can be combined for higher salt tolerance.

Arabidopsis CALCINEURIN B-LIKE10 Functions Independently of the SOS Pathway during Reproductive Development in Saline Conditions

The accumulation of sodium in soil (saline conditions) negatively affects plant growth and development. The Salt Overly Sensitive (SOS) pathway in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) functions to remove sodium from the cytosol during vegetative development preventing its accumulation to toxic levels. In this pathway, the SOS3 and CALCINEURIN B-LIKE10 (CBL10) calcium sensors interact with the SOS2 protein kinase to activate sodium/proton exchange at the plasma membrane (SOS1) or vacuolar membrane. To determine if the same pathway functions during reproductive development in response to salt, fertility was analyzed in wild type and the SOS pathway mutants grown in saline conditions. In response to salt, CBL10 functions early in reproductive development before fertilization, while SOS1 functions mostly after fertilization when seed development begins. Neither SOS2 nor SOS3 function in reproductive development in response to salt. Loss of CBL10 function resulted in reduced anther dehiscence, shortened stamen filaments, and aborted pollen development. In addition, cbl10 mutant pistils could not sustain the growth of wild-type pollen tubes. These results suggest that CBL10 is critical for reproductive development in the presence of salt and that it functions in different pathways during vegetative and reproductive development.

Variation in tissue Na(+) content and the activity of SOS1 genes among two species and two related genera of Chrysanthemum

BACKGROUND

Chrysanthemum, a leading ornamental species, does not tolerate salinity stress, although some of its related species do. The current level of understanding regarding the mechanisms underlying salinity tolerance in this botanical group is still limited.

RESULTS

A comparison of the physiological responses to salinity stress was made between Chrysanthemum morifolium 'Jinba' and its more tolerant relatives Crossostephium chinense, Artemisia japonica and Chrysanthemum crassum. The stress induced a higher accumulation of Na(+) and more reduction of K(+) in C. morifolium than in C. chinense, C. crassum and A. japonica, which also showed higher K(+)/Na(+) ratio. Homologs of an Na(+)/H(+) antiporter (SOS1) were isolated from each species. The gene carried by the tolerant plants were more strongly induced by salt stress than those carried by the non-tolerant ones. When expressed heterologously, they also conferred a greater degree of tolerance to a yeast mutant lacking Na(+)-pumping ATPase and plasma membrane Na(+)/H(+) antiporter activity. The data suggested that the products of AjSOS1, CrcSOS1 and CcSOS1 functioned more effectively as Na (+) excluders than those of CmSOS1. Over expression of four SOS1s improves the salinity tolerance of transgenic plants and the overexpressing plants of SOS1s from salt tolerant plants were more tolerant than that from salt sensitive plants. In addition, the importance of certain AjSOS1 residues for effective ion transport activity and salinity tolerance was established by site-directed mutagenesis and heterologous expression in yeast.

CONCLUSIONS

AjSOS1, CrcSOS1 and CcSOS1 have potential as transgenes for enhancing salinity tolerance. Some of the mutations identified here may offer opportunities to better understand the mechanistic basis of salinity tolerance in the chrysanthemum complex.

Unravelling the mechanisms for plant survival on gypsum soils: an analysis of the chemical composition of gypsum plants from Turkey

Depending on their specificity to gypsum, plants can be classified as gypsophiles (gypsum exclusive) and gypsovags (non-exclusive). The former may further be segregated into wide and narrow gypsophiles, depending on the breadth of their distribution area. Narrow gypsum endemics have a putative similar chemical composition to plants non-exclusive to gypsum (i.e. gypsovags), which may indicate their similar ecological strategy as stress-tolerant plant refugees on gypsum. However, this hypothesis awaits testing in different regions of the world. We compared the chemical composition of four narrow gypsum endemics, one widely distributed gypsophile and six gypsovags from Turkey. Further, we explored the plasticity in chemical composition of Turkish gypsovags growing on high- and low-gypsum content soils. Differences were explored with multivariate analyses (RDA) and mixed models (REML). Narrow gypsum endemics segregated from gypsovags in their chemical composition according to RDAs (mainly due to higher K and ash content in the former). Nevertheless, differences were small and disappeared when different nutrients were analysed individually. All the gypsovags studied accumulated more S and ash when growing on high-gypsum than on low-gypsum soils. Similar to narrow gypsum endemics from other regions of the world, most local gypsum endemics from Turkey show a similar chemical composition to gypsovags. This may indicate a shared ecological strategy as stress-tolerant plants not specifically adapted to gypsum. Nevertheless, the narrow gypsum endemic Gypsophila parva showed a chemical composition typical of gypsum specialists, indicating that various strategies are feasible within narrowly distributed gypsophiles.

Overexpression of MdSOS2L1, a CIPK protein kinase, increases the antioxidant metabolites to enhance salt tolerance in apple and tomato

Soil salinity hinders the growth of most higher plants and becomes a gradually increasing threat to the agricultural production of such crops as the woody plant apple. In this study, a calcineurin B-like protein (CBL)-interacting protein kinase, MdCIPK24-LIKE1 (named as MdSOS2L1), was identified. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay revealed that the expression of MdSOS2L1 was upregulated by CaCl₂ . Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) assay and transiently transgenic analysis demonstrated that the MdSOS2L1 protein kinase physically interacted with MdCBL1, MdCBL4 and MdCBL10 proteins to increase salt tolerance in apple. Furthermore, iTRAQ proteome combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS) analysis found that several proteins, which are involved in reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, procyanidin biosynthesis and malate metabolism, were induced in MdSOS2L1-overexpressing apple plants. Subsequent studies have shown that MdSOS2L1 increased antioxidant metabolites such as procyanidin and malate to improve salt tolerance in apple and tomato. In summary, our studies provide a mechanism in which SOS2L1 enhances the salt stress tolerance in apple and tomato.

Nax loci affect SOS1-like Na+/H+ exchanger expression and activity in wheat

Salinity stress tolerance in durum wheat is strongly associated with a plant's ability to control Na(+) delivery to the shoot. Two loci, termed Nax1 and Nax2, were recently identified as being critical for this process and the sodium transporters HKT1;4 and HKT1;5 were identified as the respective candidate genes. These transporters retrieve Na(+) from the xylem, thus limiting the rates of Na(+) transport from the root to the shoot. In this work, we show that the Nax loci also affect activity and expression levels of the SOS1-like Na(+)/H(+) exchanger in both root cortical and stelar tissues. Net Na(+) efflux measured in isolated steles from salt-treated plants, using the non-invasive ion flux measuring MIFE technique, decreased in the sequence: Tamaroi (parental line)>Nax1=Nax2>Nax1:Nax2 lines. This efflux was sensitive to amiloride (a known inhibitor of the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger) and was mirrored by net H(+) flux changes. TdSOS1 relative transcript levels were 6-10-fold lower in Nax lines compared with Tamaroi. Thus, it appears that Nax loci confer two highly complementary mechanisms, both of which contribute towards reducing the xylem Na(+) content. One enhances the retrieval of Na(+) back into the root stele via HKT1;4 or HKT1;5, whilst the other reduces the rate of Na(+) loading into the xylem via SOS1. It is suggested that such duality plays an important adaptive role with greater versatility for responding to a changing environment and controlling Na(+) delivery to the shoot.

Salinity thresholds and genotypic variability of cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) grown under saline stress

BACKGROUND

Two botanical varieties of cabbage, namely Savoy (Brassica oleracea var. Sabauda L.) and White (Brassica oleracea var. Capitata L.) were used in order to understand the morphological, physiological and biochemical elements of functional salt stress response. Thirteen salt concentrations (range, 0 to 300 mmol L(-1) NaCl) were considered in Experiment 1 and, of these 13, three (0, 100 and 200 mmol L(-1) NaCl) were used in Experiment 2.

RESULTS

Experiment 1 enabled the definition of two salinity thresholds (100 and 200 mmol L(-1) NaCl), associated with morphological and physiological adaptations. In Experiment 2, moderate salinity (100 mmol L(-1) NaCl) had lower effects on Savoy than in White cabbage yield (respectively, -16% and -62% from control). Concurrently, 100 mmol L(-1) NaCl resulted in a significant increase of antioxidant enzymes from control conditions, that was greater in Savoy (+289, +423 and +88%, respectively) as compared to White (+114, +356 and +28%, respectively) cabbage. Ion accumulation was found to be a key determinant in tissue osmotic adjustment (mainly in Savoy) whereas the contribution of organic osmolites was negligible.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher antioxidative enzymatic activities in Savoy versus White cabbage after treatment with 100 mmol L(-1) NaCl were associated with improved water relations, thus suggesting a possible physiological pathway for alleviating perceived salt stress.

Glycosylation of a Fasciclin-Like Arabinogalactan-Protein (SOS5) Mediates Root Growth and Seed Mucilage Adherence via a Cell Wall Receptor-Like Kinase (FEI1/FEI2) Pathway in Arabidopsis

Fundamental processes that underpin plant growth and development depend crucially on the action and assembly of the cell wall, a dynamic structure that changes in response to both developmental and environmental cues. While much is known about cell wall structure and biosynthesis, much less is known about the functions of the individual wall components, particularly with respect to their potential roles in cellular signaling. Loss-of-function mutants of two arabinogalactan-protein (AGP)-specific galactosyltransferases namely, GALT2 and GALT5, confer pleiotropic growth and development phenotypes indicating the important contributions of carbohydrate moieties towards AGP function. Notably, galt2galt5 double mutants displayed impaired root growth and root tip swelling in response to salt, likely as a result of decreased cellulose synthesis. These mutants phenocopy a salt-overly sensitive mutant called sos5, which lacks a fasciclin-like AGP (SOS5/FLA4) as well as a fei1fei2 double mutant, which lacks two cell wall-associated leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases. Additionally, galt2gal5 as well as sos5 and fei2 showed reduced seed mucilage adherence. Quintuple galt2galt5sos5fei1fei2 mutants were produced and provided evidence that these genes act in a single, linear genetic pathway. Further genetic and biochemical analysis of the quintuple mutant demonstrated involvement of these genes with the interplay between cellulose biosynthesis and two plant growth regulators, ethylene and ABA, in modulating root cell wall integrity.

Functional study of a salt-inducible TaSR gene in Triticum aestivum

The gene expression chip of a salt-tolerant wheat mutant under salt stress was used to clone a salt-induced gene with unknown functions. This gene was designated as TaSR (Triticum aestivum salt-response gene) and submitted to GenBank under accession number EF580107. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis showed that gene expression was induced by salt stress. Arabidopsis and rice (Oryza sativa) plants expressing TaSR presented higher salt tolerance than the controls, whereas AtSR mutant and RNA interference rice plants were more sensitive to salt. Under salt stress, TaSR reduced Na(+) concentration and improved cellular K(+) and Ca(2+) concentrations; this gene was also localized on the cell membrane. β-Glucuronidase (GUS) staining and GUS fluorescence quantitative determination were conducted through fragmentation cloning of the TaSR promoter. Salt stress-responsive elements were detected at 588-1074 bp upstream of the start codon. GUS quantitative tests of the full-length promoter in different tissues indicated that promoter activity was highest in the leaf under salt stress. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation and yeast two-hybrid screening further showed the correlation of TaSR with TaPRK and TaKPP. In vitro phosphorylation of TaSR and TaPRK2697 showed that TaPRK2697 did not phosphorylate TaSR. This study revealed that the novel TaSR may be used to improve plant tolerance to salt stress.

A small multigene hydroxyproline-O-galactosyltransferase family functions in arabinogalactan-protein glycosylation, growth and development in Arabidopsis

BACKGROUND

Arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs) are ubiquitous components of cell walls throughout the plant kingdom and are extensively post translationally modified by conversion of proline to hydroxyproline (Hyp) and by addition of arabinogalactan polysaccharides (AG) to Hyp residues. AGPs are implicated to function in various aspects of plant growth and development, but the functional contributions of AGP glycans remain to be elucidated. Hyp glycosylation is initiated by the action of a set of Hyp-O-galactosyltransferase (Hyp-O-GALT) enzymes that remain to be fully characterized.

RESULTS

Three members of the GT31 family (GALT3-At3g06440, GALT4-At1g27120, and GALT6-At5g62620) were identified as Hyp-O-GALT genes by heterologous expression in tobacco leaf epidermal cells and examined along with two previously characterized Hyp-O-GALT genes, GALT2 and GALT5. Transcript profiling by real-time PCR of these five Hyp-O-GALTs revealed overlapping but distinct expression patterns. Transiently expressed GALT3, GALT4 and GALT6 fluorescent protein fusions were localized within Golgi vesicles. Biochemical analysis of knock-out mutants for the five Hyp-O-GALT genes revealed significant reductions in both AGP-specific Hyp-O-GALT activity and β-Gal-Yariv precipitable AGPs. Further phenotypic analysis of these mutants demonstrated reduced root hair growth, reduced seed coat mucilage, reduced seed set, and accelerated leaf senescence. The mutants also displayed several conditional phenotypes, including impaired root growth, and defective anisotropic growth of root tips under salt stress, as well as less sensitivity to the growth inhibitory effects of β-Gal-Yariv reagent in roots and pollen tubes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides evidence that all five Hyp-O-GALT genes encode enzymes that catalyze the initial steps of AGP galactosylation and that AGP glycans play essential roles in both vegetative and reproductive plant growth.

High atmospheric carbon dioxide-dependent alleviation of salt stress is linked to RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE 1 (RBOH1)-dependent H2O2 production in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

Plants acclimate rapidly to stressful environmental conditions. Increasing atmospheric CO2 levels are predicted to influence tolerance to stresses such as soil salinity but the mechanisms are poorly understood. To resolve this issue, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants were grown under ambient (380 μmol mol(-1)) or high (760 μmol mol(-1)) CO2 in the absence or presence of sodium chloride (100mM). The higher atmospheric CO2 level induced the expression of RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE 1 (SlRBOH1) and enhanced H2O2 accumulation in the vascular cells of roots, stems, leaf petioles, and the leaf apoplast. Plants grown with higher CO2 levels showed improved salt tolerance, together with decreased leaf transpiration rates and lower sodium concentrations in the xylem sap, vascular tissues, and leaves. Silencing SlRBOH1 abolished high CO2 -induced salt tolerance and increased leaf transpiration rates, as well as enhancing Na(+) accumulation in the plants. The higher atmospheric CO2 level increased the abundance of a subset of transcripts involved in Na(+) homeostasis in the controls but not in the SlRBOH1-silenced plants. It is concluded that high atmospheric CO2 concentrations increase salt stress tolerance in an apoplastic H2O2 dependent manner, by suppressing transpiration and hence Na(+) delivery from the roots to the shoots, leading to decreased leaf Na(+) accumulation.

Male poplars have a stronger ability to balance growth and carbohydrate accumulation than do females in response to a short-term potassium deficiency

Potassium (K) deficiency influences plant performance, such as ion uptake and carbohydrate transport. However, little is known about differences between males and females in response to K deficiency. In this study, dry matter accumulation, photosynthetic capacity, allocation patterns of K(+) , Na(+) and carbohydrates, and ultrastructural changes in males and females of Populus cathayana exposed to K deficiency were investigated. The results indicated that males maintained a significantly higher K(+) content and K(+) /Na(+) ratio in leaves and stems than did females under K deficiency. Moreover, K deficiency significantly increased the sucrose content of females, whereas no significant effect on males was detected. In addition, a comparative analysis showed that males allocated more resources to roots, while females allocated more to leaves, which resulted in sexually different root/shoot (R/S) ratios. Transmission electron microscopic (TEM) observations showed that males suffered fewer injuries than did females. These results suggested that males have a better ability to cope with K deficiency. In addition, the combined effects of salinity and K deficiency on poplars were studied. The results indicated that salt stress aggravates the negative effects caused by K deficiency. Taken together, our study provided evidence for gender-specific strategies in ion and carbohydrate allocation in poplars exposed to a short-term K deficiency. In leaves and stems, the lower K(+) accumulation inhibited sucrose translocation and resulted in a decreased R/S ratio, which may contribute to males having a stronger ability to balance growth and carbohydrate accumulation when compared with females.

The heterotrimeric G-protein β subunit, AGB1, plays multiple roles in the Arabidopsis salinity response

Salinity stress includes both osmotic and ionic toxicity. Sodium homeostasis is influenced by Na(+) uptake and extrusion, vacuolar Na(+) compartmentation and root to shoot Na(+) translocation via transpiration. The knockout mutant of the Arabidopsis heterotrimeric G-protein Gβ subunit, agb1, is hypersensitive to salt, exhibiting a leaf bleaching phenotype. We show that AGB1 is mainly involved in the ionic toxicity component of salinity stress and plays roles in multiple processes of Na(+) homeostasis. agb1 mutants accumulate more Na(+) and less K(+) in both shoots and roots of hydroponically grown plants, as measured by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. agb1 plants have higher root to shoot translocation rates of radiolabelled (24) Na(+) under transpiring conditions, as a result of larger stomatal apertures and increased stomatal conductance. (24) Na(+) tracer experiments also show that (24) Na(+) uptake rates by excised roots of agb1 and wild type are initially equal, but that agb1 has higher net Na(+) uptake at 90 min, implicating possible involvement of AGB1 in the regulation of Na(+) efflux. Calcium alleviates the salt hypersensitivity of agb1 by reducing Na(+) accumulation to below the toxicity threshold. Our results provide new insights into the regulatory pathways underlying plant responses to salinity stress, an important agricultural problem.

Understanding salinity responses and adopting 'omics-based' approaches to generate salinity tolerant cultivars of rice

Soil salinity is one of the main constraints affecting production of rice worldwide, by reducing growth, pollen viability as well as yield of the plant. Therefore, detailed understanding of the response of rice towards soil salinity at the physiological and molecular level is a prerequisite for its effective management. Various approaches have been adopted by molecular biologists or breeders to understand the mechanism for salinity tolerance in plants and to develop salt tolerant rice cultivars. Genome wide analysis using 'omics-based' tools followed by identification and functional validation of individual genes is becoming one of the popular approaches to tackle this task. On the other hand, mutation breeding and insertional mutagenesis has also been exploited to obtain salinity tolerant crop plants. This review looks into various responses at cellular and whole plant level generated in rice plants toward salinity stress thus, evaluating the suitability of intervention of functional genomics to raise stress tolerant plants. We have tried to highlight the usefulness of the contemporary 'omics-based' approaches such as genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics and phenomics towards dissecting out the salinity tolerance trait in rice. In addition, we have highlighted the importance of integration of various 'omics' approaches to develop an understanding of the machinery involved in salinity response in rice and to move forward to develop salt tolerant cultivars of rice.

Abscisic Acid: Hidden Architect of Root System Structure

Plants modulate root growth in response to changes in the local environment, guided by intrinsic developmental genetic programs. The hormone Abscisic Acid (ABA) mediates responses to different environmental factors, such as the presence of nitrate in the soil, water stress and salt, shaping the structure of the root system by regulating the production of lateral roots as well as controlling root elongation by modulating cell division and elongation. Curiously, ABA controls different aspects of root architecture in different plant species, perhaps providing some insight into the great diversity of root architecture in different plants, both from different taxa and from different environments. ABA is an ancient signaling pathway, acquired well before the diversification of land plants. Nonetheless, how this ancient signaling module is implemented or interacts within a larger signaling network appears to vary in different species. This review will examine the role of ABA in the control of root architecture, focusing on the regulation of lateral root formation in three plant species, Arabidopsis thaliana, Medicago truncatula and Oryza sativa. We will consider how the implementation of the ABA signaling module might be a target of natural selection, to help contribute to the diversity of root architecture in nature.

SCF E3 ligase PP2-B11 plays a positive role in response to salt stress in Arabidopsis

Skp1-Cullin-F-box (SCF) E3 ligases are essential to the post-translational regulation of many important factors involved in cellular signal transduction. In this study, we identified an F-box protein from Arabidopsis thaliana, AtPP2-B11, which was remarkably induced with increased duration of salt treatment in terms of both transcript and protein levels. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing AtPP2-B11 exhibited obvious tolerance to high salinity, whereas the RNA interference line was more sensitive to salt stress than wild-type plants. Isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification analysis revealed that 4311 differentially expressed proteins were regulated by AtPP2-B11 under salt stress. AtPP2-B11 could upregulate the expression of annexin1 (AnnAt1) and function as a molecular link between salt stress and reactive oxygen species accumulation in Arabidopsis. Moreover, AtPP2-B11 influenced the expression of Na(+) homeostasis genes under salt stress, and the AtPP2-B11 overexpressing lines exhibited lower Na(+) accumulation. These results suggest that AtPP2-B11 functions as a positive regulator in response to salt stress in Arabidopsis.

Arabidopsis AINTEGUMENTA mediates salt tolerance by trans-repressing SCABP8

The Arabidopsis AINTEGUMENTA (ANT) gene, which encodes an APETALA2 (AP2)-like transcription factor, controls plant organ cell number and organ size throughout shoot development. ANT is thus a key factor in the development of plant shoots. Here, we have found that ANT plays an essential role in conferring salt tolerance in Arabidopsis. ant-knockout mutants presented a salt-tolerant phenotype, whereas transgenic plants expressing ANT under the 35S promoter (35S:ANT) exhibited more sensitive phenotypes under high salt stress. Further analysis indicated that ANT functions mainly in the shoot response to salt toxicity. Target gene analysis revealed that ANT bound to the promoter of SOS3-LIKE CALCIUM BINDING PROTEIN 8 (SCABP8), which encodes a putative Ca(2+) sensor, thereby inhibiting expression of SCABP8 (also known as CBL10). It has been reported that the salt sensitivity of scabp8 is more prominent in shoot tissues. Genetic experiments indicated that the mutation of SCABP8 suppresses the ant-knockout salt-tolerant phenotype, implying that ANT functions as a negative transcriptional regulator of SCABP8 upon salt stress. Taken together, the above results reveal that ANT is a novel regulator of salt stress and that ANT binds to the SCABP8 promoter, mediating salt tolerance.

Kinetin modulates physio-hormonal attributes and isoflavone contents of Soybean grown under salinity stress

Crop productivity continues to decline due to a wide array of biotic and abiotic stresses. Salinity is one of the worst abiotic stresses, as it causes huge losses to crop yield each year. Kinetin (Kn) has been reported as plant growth regulator since long, but its role in improving plant growth and food quality under saline conditions through mediating phytohormonal cross-talk is poorly studied. Current study was designed to evaluate the impact of exogenously applied Kn on growth, isoflovones and endogenous phytohormones of soybean grown under NaCl induced salt stress. Soybean plants were grown in perlite (semi hydroponic), and under controlled green-house conditions. Elevated levels of exogenous Kn significantly mitigated the adverse effect of NaCl and rescued plant growth attributes, i.e., plant height, fresh and dry biomass of soybean plants grown in all treatments. Higher diadzen, glycitin, and genistin contents were observed in plants treated with elevated Kn in the presence or absence of NaCl induce salt stress. The gibberellins (GAs) biosynthesis pathway was up-regulated by Kn as the bioactive GA1 and GA4 contents were significantly higher in Kn treated plants, as compared to control, while GAs level reduced in NaCl treated plants. Contrary to GAs, the abscisic acid contents declined with Kn but promoted in NaCl stressed soybean plants. The endogenous jasmonic acid and salicylic acid contents of soybean enhanced with elevated Kn application, but they showed an antagonistic response under salt stress. Current study supports the active role of Kn to ameliorate the adverse effects of salt stress on the growth and food quality of soybean. The favorable role of Kn toward soybean growth under salt stress may be attributed to its potential to modulate cross-talk between the various phytohormones involved in soybean growth and its resistance to salinity stress.

Potassium Retention under Salt Stress Is Associated with Natural Variation in Salinity Tolerance among Arabidopsis Accessions

Plants are exposed to various environmental stresses during their life cycle such as salt, drought and cold. Natural variation mediated plant growth adaptation has been employed as an effective approach in response to the diverse environmental cues such as salt stress. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this process is not well understood. In the present study, a collection of 82 Arabidopsis thaliana accessions (ecotypes) was screened with a view to identify variation for salinity tolerance. Seven accessions showed a higher level of tolerance than Col-0. The young seedlings of the tolerant accessions demonstrated a higher K(+) content and a lower Na(+)/K(+) ratio when exposed to salinity stress, but its Na(+) content was the same as that of Col-0. The K(+) transporter genes AtHAK5, AtCHX17 and AtKUP1 were up-regulated significantly in almost all the tolerant accessions, even in the absence of salinity stress. There was little genetic variation or positive transcriptional variation between the selections and Col-0 with respect to Na+-related transporter genes, as AtSOS genes, AtNHX1 and AtHKT1;1. In addition, under salinity stress, these selections accumulated higher compatible solutes and lower reactive oxygen species than did Col-0. Taken together, our results showed that natural variation in salinity tolerance of Arabidopsis seems to have been achieved by the strong capacity of K(+) retention.

Two Hydroxyproline Galactosyltransferases, GALT5 and GALT2, Function in Arabinogalactan-Protein Glycosylation, Growth and Development in Arabidopsis

Hydroxyproline-O-galactosyltransferase (GALT) initiates O-glycosylation of arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs). We previously characterized GALT2 (At4g21060), and now report on functional characterization of GALT5 (At1g74800). GALT5 was identified using heterologous expression in Pichia and an in vitro GALT assay. Product characterization showed GALT5 specifically adds galactose to hydroxyproline in AGP protein backbones. Functions of GALT2 and GALT5 were elucidated by phenotypic analysis of single and double mutant plants. Allelic galt5 and galt2 mutants, and particularly galt2 galt5 double mutants, demonstrated lower GALT activities and reductions in β-Yariv-precipitated AGPs compared to wild type. Mutant plants showed pleiotropic growth and development phenotypes (defects in root hair growth, root elongation, pollen tube growth, flowering time, leaf development, silique length, and inflorescence growth), which were most severe in the double mutants. Conditional mutant phenotypes were also observed, including salt-hypersensitive root growth and root tip swelling as well as reduced inhibition of pollen tube growth and root growth in response to β-Yariv reagent. These mutants also phenocopy mutants for an AGP, SOS5, and two cell wall receptor-like kinases, FEI1 and FEI2, which exist in a genetic signaling pathway. In summary, GALT5 and GALT2 function as redundant GALTs that control AGP O-glycosylation, which is essential for normal growth and development.

Effect of salinity stress on plants and its tolerance strategies: a review

The environmental stress is a major area of scientific concern because it constraints plant as well as crop productivity. This situation has been further worsened by anthropogenic activities. Therefore, there is a much scientific saddle on researchers to enhance crop productivity under environmental stress in order to cope with the increasing food demands. The abiotic stresses such as salinity, drought, cold, and heat negatively influence the survival, biomass production and yield of staple food crops. According to an estimate of FAO, over 6% of the world's land is affected by salinity. Thus, salinity stress appears to be a major constraint to plant and crop productivity. Here, we review our understanding of salinity impact on various aspects of plant metabolism and its tolerance strategies in plants.

Transcriptome analysis of canola (Brassica napus) under salt stress at the germination stage

Canola (Brassica napus) is one of the most important oil crops in the world. However, its yield has been constrained by salt stress. In this study, transcriptome profiles were explored using Digital Gene Expression (DGE) at 0, 3, 12 and 24 hours after H2O (control) and NaCl treatments on B. napus roots at the germination stage. Comparisons of gene-expression between the control and the treatment were conducted after tag-mapping to the sequenced Brassica rapa genome. The differentially expressed genes during the time course of salt stress were focused on, and 163 genes were identified to be differentially expressed at all the time points. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses revealed that some of the genes were involved in proline metabolism, inositol metabolism, carbohydrate metabolic processes and oxidation-reduction processes and may play vital roles in the salt-stress response at the germination stage. Thus, this study provides new candidate salt stress responding genes, which may function in novel putative nodes in the molecular pathways of salt stress resistance.

The wheat NHX antiporter gene TaNHX2 confers salt tolerance in transgenic alfalfa by increasing the retention capacity of intracellular potassium

Previous studies have shown that TaNHX2 transgenic alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) accumulated more K(+) and less Na(+) in leaves than did the wild-type plants. To investigate whether the increased K(+) accumulation in transgenic plants is attributed to TaNHX2 gene expression and whether the compartmentalization of Na(+) into vacuoles or the intracellular compartmentalization of potassium is the critical mechanism for TaNHX2-dependent salt tolerance in transgenic alfalfa, aerated hydroponic culture was performed under three different stress conditions: control condition (0.1 mM Na(+) and 6 mM K(+) inside culture solution), K(+)-sufficient salt stress (100 mM NaCl and 6 mM K(+)) and K(+)-insufficient salt stress (100 mM NaCl and 0.1 mM K(+)). The transgenic alfalfa plants had lower K(+) efflux through specific K(+) channels and higher K(+) absorption through high-affinity K(+) transporters than did the wild-type plants. Therefore, the transgenic plants had greater K(+) contents and [K(+)]/[Na(+)] ratios in leaf tissue and cell sap. The intracellular compartmentalization of potassium is critical for TaNHX2-induced salt tolerance in transgenic alfalfa.

Molecular cloning and characterization of salt overly sensitive gene promoter from Brassica juncea (BjSOS2)

Salt Overly Sensitive (SOS) pathway comprising SOS1, SOS2 and SOS3 genes has been recognized as the key mechanism controlling ion homeostasis under salinity stress. SOS2 component of this pathway encodes a serine/threonine protein kinase that together with SOS3 activates downstream Na(+)/H(+) antiporter SOS1, reestablishing cellular ion homeostasis under salinity stress. In the present study, we have found that the transcript levels of BjSOS2 are induced in response to various abiotic stresses. We have isolated a 713 bp promoter region of SOS2 gene from Brassica juncea to study the regulation of BjSOS2 under various abiotic stress conditions and further, to examine utility of the cloned upstream region in genetic engineering experiments. For this purpose, 713 bp BjSOS2 promoter:β-glucuronidase (GUS) fusion construct, along with its two subsequent 5' deletion derivatives, D1 (443 bp) and D2 (209 bp), were stably transformed into B. juncea. Functional analysis of transgenic lines revealed significant increase in promoter activity under salinity, desiccation as well as abscisic acid (ABA) treatment which was consistent with increased transcript levels of GUS gene. BjSOS2 promoter possesses strong multi-stress inducible nature, suggesting its involvement in various aspects of stress signaling. Considering the fact that the simultaneous presence of multiple abiotic stress conditions under field conditions is a challenging threat to crop productivity, future studies may utilize the BjSOS2 promoter to drive stress-inducible expression of genes involved in imparting tolerance to multiple stresses.

Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJN induces long-term metabolic and transcriptional changes involved in Arabidopsis thaliana salt tolerance

Salinity is one of the major limitations for food production worldwide. Improvement of plant salt-stress tolerance using plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) has arisen as a promising strategy to help overcome this limitation. However, the molecular and biochemical mechanisms controlling PGPR/plant interactions under salt-stress remain unclear. The main objective of this study was to obtain new insights into the mechanisms underlying salt-stress tolerance enhancement in the salt-sensitive Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0 plants, when inoculated with the well-known PGPR strain Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJN. To tackle this, different life history traits, together with the spatiotemporal accumulation patterns for key metabolites and salt-stress related transcripts, were analyzed in inoculated plants under short and long-term salt-stress. Inoculated plants displayed faster recovery and increased tolerance after sustained salt-stress. PsJN treatment accelerated the accumulation of proline and transcription of genes related to abscisic acid signaling (Relative to Dessication, RD29A and RD29B), ROS scavenging (Ascorbate Peroxidase 2), and detoxification (Glyoxalase I 7), and down-regulated the expression of Lipoxygenase 2 (related to jasmonic acid biosynthesis). Among the general transcriptional effects of this bacterium, the expression pattern of important ion-homeostasis related genes was altered after short and long-term stress (Arabidopsis K(+) Transporter 1, High-Affinity K(+) Transporter 1, Sodium Hydrogen Exchanger 2, and Arabidopsis Salt Overly Sensitive 1). In all, the faster and stronger molecular changes induced by the inoculation suggest a PsJN-priming effect, which may explain the observed tolerance after short-term and sustained salt-stress in plants. This study provides novel information about possible mechanisms involved in salt-stress tolerance induced by PGPR in plants, showing that certain changes are maintained over time. This opens up new venues to study these relevant biological associations, as well as new approaches to a better understanding of the spatiotemporal mechanisms involved in stress tolerance in plants.

Nitric oxide negatively regulates AKT1-mediated potassium uptake through modulating vitamin B6 homeostasis in Arabidopsis

Nitric oxide (NO), an active signaling molecule in plants, is involved in numerous physiological processes and adaptive responses to environmental stresses. Under high-salt conditions, plants accumulate NO quickly, and reorganize Na(+) and K(+) contents. However, the molecular connection between NO and ion homeostasis is largely unknown. Here, we report that NO lowers K(+) channel AKT1-mediated plant K(+) uptake by modulating vitamin B6 biosynthesis. In a screen for Arabidopsis NO-hypersensitive mutants, we isolated sno1 (sensitive to nitric oxide 1), which is allelic to the previously noted mutant sos4 (salt overly sensitive 4) that has impaired Na(+) and K(+) contents and overproduces pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), an active form of vitamin B6. We showed that NO increased PLP and decreased K(+) levels in plant. NO induced SNO1 gene expression and enzyme activity, indicating that NO-triggered PLP accumulation mainly occurs through SNO1-mediated vitamin B6 salvage biosynthetic pathway. Furthermore, we demonstrated that PLP significantly repressed the activity of K(+) channel AKT1 in the Xenopus oocyte system and Arabidopsis root protoplasts. Together, our results suggest that NO decreases K(+) absorption by promoting the synthesis of vitamin B6 PLP, which further represses the activity of K(+) channel AKT1 in Arabidopsis. These findings reveal a previously unidentified pivotal role of NO in modulating the homeostasis of vitamin B6 and potassium nutrition in plants, and shed light on the mechanism of NO in plant acclimation to environmental changes.

Lessons from crop plants struggling with salinity

Salinity is a persistent problem, causing important losses in irrigated agriculture. According to global climate change prediction models, salinity is expected to expand in the near future. Although intensive studies have been conducted on the mechanisms by which plants cope with saline conditions, the multi-component nature of salt stress tolerance has rendered most plant breeding efforts to improve the plant's response to salinity unsuccessful. This occurs despite the extensive genetic diversity shown by higher plants for salt tolerance and the similar mechanisms found in salt-sensitive and salt-tolerant genotypes in response to the presence of excess of salts in the growth media. On the other hand, there is an urge to increase crop yield to the maximum to cope with the growing world population demands for food and fuel. Here, we examine some major elements and signaling mechanisms involved in the plant's response to salinity following the pathway of salt-footprints from the soil environment to leaf. Some of the possible contrasting determinants for a better-balanced resource allocation between salt tolerance and plant growth and yield are considered.

Bikinin-like inhibitors targeting GSK3/Shaggy-like kinases: characterisation of novel compounds and elucidation of their catabolism in planta

BACKGROUND

Plant GSK-3/Shaggy-like kinases are key players in brassinosteroid (BR) signalling which impact on plant development and participate in response to wounding, pathogens and salt stress. Bikinin was previously identified in a chemical genetics screen as an inhibitor targeting these kinases. To dissect the structural elements crucial for inhibition of GSK-3/Shaggy-like kinases by bikinin and to isolate more potent compounds we synthesised a number of related substances and tested their inhibitory activity in vitro and in vivo using Arabidopsis thaliana.

RESULTS

A pyridine ring with an amido succinic acid residue in position 2 and a halogen in position 5 were crucial for inhibitory activity. The compound with an iodine substituent in position 5, denoted iodobikinin, was most active in inhibiting BIN2 activity in vitro and efficiently induced brassinosteroid-like responses in vivo. Its methyl ester, methyliodobikinin, showed improved cell permeability, making it highly potent in vivo although it had lower activity in vitro. HPLC analysis revealed that the methyl residue was rapidly cleaved off in planta liberating active iodobikinin. In addition, we provide evidence that iodobikinin and bikinin are inactivated in planta by conjugation with glutamic acid or malic acid and that the latter process is catalysed by the malate transferase SNG1.

CONCLUSION

Brassinosteroids participate in regulation of many aspects of plant development and in responses to environmental cues. Thus compounds modulating their action are valuable tools to study such processes and may be an interesting opportunity to modify plant growth and performance in horticulture and agronomy. Here we report the development of bikinin derivatives with increased potency that can activate BR signalling and mimic BR action. Methyliodobikinin was 3.4 times more active in vivo than bikinin. The main reason for the superior activity of methyliodobikinin, the most potent compound, is its enhanced plant tissue permeability. Inactivation of bikinin and its derivatives in planta involves SNG1, which constitutes a novel pathway for modification of xenobiotic compounds.

Going beyond nutrition: regulation of potassium homoeostasis as a common denominator of plant adaptive responses to environment

Partially and fully completed plant genome sequencing projects in both lower and higher plants allow drawing a comprehensive picture of the molecular and structural diversities of plant potassium transporter genes and their encoded proteins. While the early focus of the research in this field was aimed on the structure-function studies and understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying K(+) transport, availability of Arabidopsis thaliana mutant collections in combination with micro-array techniques have significantly advanced our understanding of K(+) channel physiology, providing novel insights into the transcriptional regulation of potassium homeostasis in plants. More recently, posttranslational regulation of potassium transport systems has moved into the center stage of potassium transport research. The current review is focused on the most exciting developments in this field. By summarizing recent work on potassium transporter regulation we show that potassium transport in general, and potassium channels in particular, represent important targets and are mediators of the cellular responses during different developmental stages in a plant's life cycle. We show that regulation of intracellular K(+) homeostasis is essential to mediate plant adaptive responses to a broad range of abiotic and biotic stresses including drought, salinity, and oxidative stress. We further link post-translational regulation of K(+) channels with programmed cell death and show that K(+) plays a critical role in controlling the latter process. Thus, is appears that K(+) is not just the essential nutrient required to support optimal plant growth and yield but is also an important signaling agent mediating a wide range of plant adaptive responses to environment.