The results demonstrated that while salt stress induced substantial Na⁺ accumulation, roots actively responded by promoting Na⁺ efflux and H⁺ influx in the elongation zone, and transcriptional reprogramming established a transmembrane proton gradient that drove effective Na⁺ efflux and maintained intracellular K⁺ homeostasis.
Abstract
Gleditsia sinensis
Lam. is a widely distributed tree species in China characterized by its remarkable tolerance to barrenness and salinity, making it a valuable candidate for the ecological restoration of saline-alkali lands. Understanding its ion regulatory mechanisms is a prerequisite for salt tolerance evaluation and molecular breeding. However, the molecular mechanisms coordinating root ion fluxes and overall defense strategies in
G. sinensis
under salt stress remain largely unclear. In this study, we investigated the root ion flux characteristics and underlying molecular mechanisms of hydroponic
G. sinensis
seedlings under 100 mmol·L⁻¹ NaCl stress using non-invasive micro-test technology (NMT) and transcriptomic sequencing. The results demonstrated that while salt stress induced substantial Na⁺ accumulation, roots actively responded by promoting Na⁺ efflux and H⁺ influx in the elongation zone. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that seedlings adopted a “growth-defense trade-off” strategy. By down-regulating energy-intensive metabolic pathways, the seedlings reallocated limited energy to significantly up-regulate key ion transporters, including
AHA11
,
AKT1
, and
SKOR
. This transcriptional reprogramming established a transmembrane proton gradient that drove effective Na⁺ efflux and maintained intracellular K⁺ homeostasis. These findings provide a theoretical basis and genetic resources for targeted molecular breeding of
G. sinensis
in saline environments.
Findings highlight evolutionarily conserved patterns in stress-specific signaling pathways and in the underlying transcriptional regulation between bryophytes and angiosperms in the response to moderate salt stress.
Armin Horn, C. Misra, Jose Miguel Sordo et al.· Journal of plant physiology· 0 citations
Soil salinization severely limits forage crop productivity, yet the regulatory networks that govern salt stress adaptation in alfalfa, a moderately salt-tolerant leguminous forage, remain largely unexplored. Here, we examined the physiological and transcriptomic dynamics of alfalfa leaves under 200 mM NaCl stress across three time points. Salt stress induced a progressive elevation of the Na+/K+ ratio, biphasic activation of antioxidant enzymes and concurrent accumulation of malondialdehyde. Time-course RNA-seq analysis identified 3631 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 132 core salt-responsive transcription factors (TFs). Pathway and functional annotation analyses indicated that these DEGs were prominently involved in cell wall biogenesis, redox homeostasis, and the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway, with carotenoid accumulation strongly activated under salt stress. Using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), nine distinct co-expression clusters were constructed. Notably, the brown module, which showed a positive correlation with Na+ accumulation and the Na+/K+ ratio, was significantly enriched in the plant hormone signal transduction pathway, within which 72.7% of the enriched genes belonged to the TIFY family. Among them, a core hub gene, MsTIFY11B, was isolated for functional characterization. Subcellular localization demonstrated that MsTIFY11B is exclusively localized to the nucleus. Heterologous expression in yeast showed that MsTIFY11B overexpression enhanced tolerance to salinity and alkalinity, whereas it conferred negligible protection against mannitol-induced drought stress. Taken together, our findings provide a comprehensive temporal framework of the alfalfa transcriptomic response to salinity and suggest that MsTIFY11B may contribute to salt–alkali tolerance, making it a promising candidate for further functional characterization and potential application in the development of stress-adapted alfalfa varieties.
Lin Cheng, Yan-Feng Liu, Qing-Chun Liu et al.· Plants· 0 citations
With the ubiquity of lithium‐ion batteries, lithium has emerged as a critical environmental contaminant, yet the mechanisms of its toxicity and tolerance in plants remain poorly understood. This study investigates the physiological and molecular responses of the C4 model crop foxtail millet (
Setaria italica
) to LiCl stress. Physiological analyses revealed a concentration‐dependent effect: while low Li
+
levels activated the antioxidant system, exposure to 50 mg/L LiCl triggered a severe oxidative burst, leading to the suppression of antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, POD, CAT), lipid peroxidation, and significant growth inhibition. Transcriptomic profiling of the cultivar “Jingu 21” identified 1562 commonly regulated differentially expressed genes, indicating that Li
+
stress disrupts Na
+
/K
+
homeostasis and reprograms metabolic pathways, including the upregulation of branched‐chain amino acid degradation and plant‐pathogen interaction pathways. To validate these findings, we analyzed five additional cultivars exhibiting differential tolerance. Comparative analysis demonstrated that the robust tolerance observed in “Jigu 22” correlated with the strong induction of key genes‐specifically the transcription factor
SiBHLH148
, the vacuolar transporter
SiNHX1
, and the lipid transfer protein
SiDIR1
‐
suggesting
their pivotal roles in maintaining ROS homeostasis and ion compartmentalization. These results elucidate the molecular basis of LiCl adaptation in foxtail millet and provide crucial genetic targets for breeding crops resilient to lithium pollution.
Wei-Juan Zhou, Yitong Zhao, Jie Zheng et al.· Food and Energy Security· 0 citations
Findings establish PbSTY46 as a key regulator that links JA signaling to antioxidant defense to confer salt tolerance in P. betulifolia and represents a promising candidate for marker‑assisted breeding of salt‑tolerant pear cultivars.
Ning Yan, Wei-Chi Wang, Aihao Zhao et al.· Plant Science· 0 citations
Crop productivity around the world is largely constrained by salt-induced stress, a key abiotic factor. Although oat (Avena sativa L.) can withstand challenging environmental conditions, the physiological and molecular responses underlying salt tolerance during germination and early seedling development remain insufficiently understood. To investigate these responses, 28 oat varieties were evaluated at the germination stage, and two contrasting varieties, the salt-tolerant Mengshi No. 1 (MS) and salt-sensitive Morgan (MG), were selected for detailed analysis under a severe NaCl treatment (300 mM) during early seedling stages. Under severe salt stress, the two oat varieties exhibited distinct growth and physiological responses, including changes in growth traits, chlorophyll content, membrane stability, osmotic adjustment, and antioxidant responses. Transcriptomic analysis revealed 14,109 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between salt-treated MG and its respective control (CK), 19,405 between salt-treated MS and its CK, and 6161 between salt-treated MG and salt-treated MS, suggesting different transcriptional response patterns between the salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive varieties under severe salt stress. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed a salt-responsive module associated with MS, from which five hub genes, AVESA.00010b.r2.1CG0087930 (MGL), AVESA.00010b.r2.19DG0180280 (MGL), AVESA.00010b.r2.4CG1272260 (BCH1), AVESA.00010b.r2.5DG0989800 (GPAT7), and AVESA.00010b.r2.6CG1124100 (TPR10), were identified as candidate genes potentially associated with salt tolerance and stress responses.
Rui Qiu, Xin-Yi Zhang, Xiang-Peng Kong et al.· Plants· 0 citations
This study provides a root-focused transcriptomic resource and identifies candidate regulatory genes potentially linking ABA-related responses with lignin/lignan-associated metabolism in H. pedunculosum under salt stress.
Yang Tao, Xiao Huang, Enhao Zhang et al.· Plant physiology and biochem...· 2 citations
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