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15 pages, 3802 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Joint QTL Mapping and Transcriptome Sequencing Analysis Reveal Candidate Genes for Salinity Tolerance in Oryza sativa L. ssp. Japonica Seedlings

by Shuangshuang Li, Shanbin Xu, Jie Zheng, Haoqiang Du, Chong Li, Shen Shen, Shaoming Liang, Jingguo Wang, Hualong Liu, Luomiao Yang, Wei Xin, Yan Jia, Detang Zou and Hongliang Zheng

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(24), 17591; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242417591 - 18 Dec 2023

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Abstract

Salinity stress is one of the major abiotic stresses affecting crop growth and production. Rice is an important food crop in the world, but also a salt-sensitive crop, and the rice seedling stage is the most sensitive to salt stress, which directly affects [...] Read more.

Salinity stress is one of the major abiotic stresses affecting crop growth and production. Rice is an important food crop in the world, but also a salt-sensitive crop, and the rice seedling stage is the most sensitive to salt stress, which directly affects the final yield formation. In this study, two RIL populations derived from the crosses of CD (salt-sensitive)/WD (salt-tolerant) and KY131 (salt-sensitive)/XBJZ (salt-tolerant) were used as experimental materials, and the score of salinity toxicity (SST), the relative shoot length (RSL), the relative shoot fresh weight (RSFW), and the relative shoot dry weight (RSDW) were used for evaluating the degree of tolerance under salt stress in different lines. The genetic linkage map containing 978 and 527 bin markers were constructed in two RIL populations. A total of 14 QTLs were detected on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Among them, qSST12-1, qSST12-2, and qRSL12 were co-localized in a 140-kb overlap interval on chromosome 12, which containing 16 candidate genes. Furthermore, transcriptome sequencing and qRT-PCR were analyzed in CD and WD under normal and 120 mM NaCl stress. LOC_Os12g29330, LOC_Os12g29350, LOC_Os12g29390, and LOC_Os12g29400 were significantly induced by salt stress in both CD and WD. Sequence analysis showed that LOC_Os12g29400 in the salt-sensitive parents CD and KY131 was consistent with the reference sequence (Nipponbare), whereas the salt-tolerant parents WD and XBJZ differed significantly from the reference sequence both in the promoter and exon regions. The salt-tolerant phenotype was identified by using two T₃ homozygous mutant plants of LOC_Os12g29400; the results showed that the score of salinity toxicity (SST) of the mutant plants (CR-3 and CR-5) was significantly lower than that of the wild type, and the seedling survival rate (SSR) was significantly higher than that of the wild type, which indicated that LOC_Os12g29400 could negatively regulate the salinity tolerance of rice at the seedling stage. The results lay a foundation for the analysis of the molecular mechanism of rice salinity tolerance and the cultivation of new rice varieties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Molecular Breeding for Drought and Salt Stress Tolerance in Crops)

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18 pages, 3521 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Membrane-Bound Transcription Factor ZmNAC074 Positively Regulates Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Transgenic Arabidopsis

by Yexiong Qian, Yan Xi, Lingxue Xia, Ziling Qiu, Li Liu and Hui Ma

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(22), 16157; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242216157 - 10 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 733

Abstract

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most widely cultivated crops for humans, making a vital contribution to human nutrition and health. However, in recent years, due to the influence of external adverse environments, the yield and quality of maize have [...] Read more.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most widely cultivated crops for humans, making a vital contribution to human nutrition and health. However, in recent years, due to the influence of external adverse environments, the yield and quality of maize have been seriously affected. NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2 and CUC2) transcription factors (TFs) are important plant-unique TFs, which are crucial for regulating the abiotic stress response of plants. Therefore, it is of great biological significance to explore the underlying regulatory function of plant NAC TFs under various abiotic stresses. In this study, wild-type and ZmNAC074-overexpressed transgenic Arabidopsis were used as experimental materials to dissect the stress-resistant function of ZmNAC074 in transgenic Arabidopsis at phenotypic, physiological and molecular levels. The analyses of seed germination rate, survival rate, phenotype, the content of chlorophyll, carotenoids, malondialdehyde (MDA), proline and other physiological indexes induced by distinct abiotic stress conditions showed that overexpression of ZmNAC074 could confer the enhanced resistance of salt, drought, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in transgenic Arabidopsis, indicating that ZmNAC074 plays an important regulatory role in plant response to abiotic stress, which provides an important theoretical foundation for further uncovering the molecular regulation mechanism of ZmNAC074 under abiotic stresses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Molecular Breeding for Drought and Salt Stress Tolerance in Crops)

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25 pages, 4694 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Physiological and Transcriptional Responses of Apocynum venetum to Salt Stress at the Seed Germination Stage

by Xin Li, Jinjuan Li, Hongyan Su, Ping Sun, Zhen Zhang, Mengfei Li and Hua Xing

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(4), 3623; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24043623 - 11 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1498

Abstract

Apocynum venetum is a semi-shrubby perennial herb that not only prevents saline–alkaline land degradation but also produces leaves for medicinal uses. Although physiological changes during the seed germination of A. venetum in response to salt stress have been studied, the adaptive mechanism to [...] Read more.

Apocynum venetum is a semi-shrubby perennial herb that not only prevents saline–alkaline land degradation but also produces leaves for medicinal uses. Although physiological changes during the seed germination of A. venetum in response to salt stress have been studied, the adaptive mechanism to salt conditions is still limited. Here, the physiological and transcriptional changes during seed germination under different NaCl treatments (0–300 mmol/L) were examined. The results showed that the seed germination rate was promoted at low NaCl concentrations (0–50 mmol/L) and inhibited with increased concentrations (100–300 mmol/L); the activity of antioxidant enzymes exhibited a significant increase from 0 (CK) to 150 mmol/L NaCl and a significant decrease from 150 to 300 mmol/L; and the content of osmolytes exhibited a significant increase with increased concentrations, while the protein content peaked at 100 mmol/L NaCl and then significantly decreased. A total of 1967 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were generated during seed germination at 300 mmol/L NaCl versus (vs.) CK, with 1487 characterized genes (1293 up-regulated, UR; 194 down-regulated, DR) classified into 11 categories, including salt stress (29), stress response (146), primary metabolism (287), cell morphogenesis (156), transcription factor (TFs, 62), bio-signaling (173), transport (144), photosynthesis and energy (125), secondary metabolism (58), polynucleotide metabolism (21), and translation (286). The relative expression levels (RELs) of selected genes directly involved in salt stress and seed germination were observed to be consistent with the changes in antioxidant enzyme activities and osmolyte contents. These findings will provide useful references to improve seed germination and reveal the adaptive mechanism of A. venetum to saline–alkaline soils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Molecular Breeding for Drought and Salt Stress Tolerance in Crops)

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22 pages, 4716 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Molecular Characterization and Drought Resistance of GmNAC3 Transcription Factor in Glycine max (L.) Merr.

by Zhanyu Chen, Xiaoqin Yang, Minghao Tang, Yujue Wang, Qian Zhang, Huiying Li, Ying Zhou, Fengjie Sun and Xiyan Cui

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(20), 12378; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232012378 - 16 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1520

Abstract

Soybean transcription factor GmNAC plays important roles in plant resistance to environmental stresses. In this study, GmNAC3 was cloned in the drought tolerant soybean variety “Jiyu47”, with the molecular properties of GmNAC3 characterized to establish its candidacy as a NAC transcription factor. The [...] Read more.

Soybean transcription factor GmNAC plays important roles in plant resistance to environmental stresses. In this study, GmNAC3 was cloned in the drought tolerant soybean variety “Jiyu47”, with the molecular properties of GmNAC3 characterized to establish its candidacy as a NAC transcription factor. The yeast self-activation experiments revealed the transcriptional activation activity of GmNAC3, which was localized in the nucleus by the subcellular localization analysis. The highest expression of GmNAC3 was detected in roots in the podding stage of soybean, and in roots of soybean seedlings treated with 20% PEG6000 for 12 h, which was 16 times higher compared with the control. In the transgenic soybean hairy roots obtained by the Agrobacterium-mediated method treated with 20% PEG6000 for 12 h, the activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase and the content of proline were increased, the malondialdehyde content was decreased, and the expressions of stress resistance-related genes (i.e., APX2, LEA14, 6PGDH, and P5CS) were up-regulated. These expression patterns were confirmed by transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana with the overexpression of GmNAC3. This study provided strong scientific evidence to support further investigation of the regulatory function of GmNAC3 in plant drought resistance and the molecular mechanisms regulating the plant response to environmental stresses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Molecular Breeding for Drought and Salt Stress Tolerance in Crops)

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18 pages, 3478 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exogenous Melatonin Improves Seed Germination of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under Salt Stress

by Jiajie Wang, Penghui Lv, Di Yan, Zhendong Zhang, Xiaomeng Xu, Ting Wang, Ye Wang, Zhen Peng, Chunxin Yu, Yuerong Gao, Liusheng Duan and Runzhi Li

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(15), 8436; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23158436 - 29 Jul 2022

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 2632

Abstract

Melatonin (MT) can effectively reduce oxidative damage induced by abiotic stresses such as salt in plants. However, the effects of MT on physiological responses and molecular regulation during wheat germination remains largely elusive. In this study, the response of wheat seeds to MT [...] Read more.

Melatonin (MT) can effectively reduce oxidative damage induced by abiotic stresses such as salt in plants. However, the effects of MT on physiological responses and molecular regulation during wheat germination remains largely elusive. In this study, the response of wheat seeds to MT under salt stress during germination was investigated at physiological and transcriptome levels. Our results revealed that application of MT significantly reduced the negative influence of salt stress on wheat seed germination. The oxidative load was reduced by inducing high activities of antioxidant enzymes. In parallel, the content of gibberellin A3 (GA₃) and jasmonic acid (JA) increased in MT-treated seedling. RNA-seq analysis demonstrated that MT alters oxidoreductase activity and phytohormone-dependent signal transduction pathways under salt stress. Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) revealed that MT participates in enhanced energy metabolism and protected seeds via maintained cell morphology under salt stress during wheat seed germination. Our findings provide a conceptual basis of the MT-mediated regulatory mechanism in plant adaptation to salt stress, and identify the potential candidate genes for salt-tolerant wheat molecular breeding. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Molecular Breeding for Drought and Salt Stress Tolerance in Crops)

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18 pages, 3221 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Is Involved in Salt Stress Response in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Seedlings

by Lijuan Wei, Li Feng, Yayu Liu and Weibiao Liao

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(14), 7645; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23147645 - 11 Jul 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1746

Abstract

Salt stress impairs plant growth and development, thereby causing low yield and inferior quality of crops. In this study, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. ‘Micro-Tom’) seedlings treated with different concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl) were investigated in terms of decreased plant height, stem [...] Read more.

Salt stress impairs plant growth and development, thereby causing low yield and inferior quality of crops. In this study, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. ‘Micro-Tom’) seedlings treated with different concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl) were investigated in terms of decreased plant height, stem diameter, dry weight, fresh weight, leaves relative water content and root activity. To reveal the response mechanism of tomato seedlings to salt stress, the transcriptome of tomato leaves was conducted. A total of 6589 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and classified into different metabolic pathways, especially photosynthesis, carbon metabolism, biosynthesis of amino acids and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Of these, approximately 42 DEGs were enriched in the MAPK signaling pathway, most of which mainly included plant hormone, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), wounding and pathogen infection signaling pathways. To further explore the roles of MAPK under salt stress, MAPK phosphorylation inhibitor SB203580 (SB) was applied. We found that SB further decreased endogenous jasmonic acid, abscisic acid and ethylene levels under salt stress condition. Additionally, in comparison with NaCl treatment alone, SB + NaCl treatment reduced the content of O²⁻ and H₂O₂ and the activities of antioxidant enzyme and downregulated the expression levels of genes related to pathogen infection. Together, the results revealed that MAPK might be involved in the salinity response of tomato seedlings by regulating hormone balance, ROS metabolism, antioxidant capacity and plant immunity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Molecular Breeding for Drought and Salt Stress Tolerance in Crops)

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Review

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37 pages, 5236 KiB

Open AccessReview

Molecular Mechanisms and Regulatory Pathways Underlying Drought Stress Response in Rice

by Anjing Geng, Wenli Lian, Yihan Wang, Minghao Liu, Yue Zhang, Xu Wang and Guang Chen

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(2), 1185; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25021185 - 18 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1198

Abstract

Rice is a staple food for 350 million people globally. Its yield thus affects global food security. Drought is a serious environmental factor affecting rice growth. Alleviating the inhibition of drought stress is thus an urgent challenge that should be solved to enhance [...] Read more.

Rice is a staple food for 350 million people globally. Its yield thus affects global food security. Drought is a serious environmental factor affecting rice growth. Alleviating the inhibition of drought stress is thus an urgent challenge that should be solved to enhance rice growth and yield. This review details the effects of drought on rice morphology, physiology, biochemistry, and the genes associated with drought stress response, their biological functions, and molecular regulatory pathways. The review further highlights the main future research directions to collectively provide theoretical support and reference for improving drought stress adaptation mechanisms and breeding new drought-resistant rice varieties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Molecular Breeding for Drought and Salt Stress Tolerance in Crops)

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16 pages, 997 KiB

Open AccessReview

Improvement of Salinity Tolerance in Water-Saving and Drought-Resistance Rice (WDR)

by Yi Liu, Feiming Wang, Anning Zhang, Zhihao Chen, Xingxing Luo, Deyan Kong, Fenyun Zhang, Xinqiao Yu, Guolan Liu and Lijun Luo

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(6), 5444; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24065444 - 13 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2372

Abstract

Rice is one of the most economically important staple food crops in the world. Soil salinization and drought seriously restrict sustainable rice production. Drought aggravates the degree of soil salinization, and, at the same time, increased soil salinity also inhibits water absorption, resulting [...] Read more.

Rice is one of the most economically important staple food crops in the world. Soil salinization and drought seriously restrict sustainable rice production. Drought aggravates the degree of soil salinization, and, at the same time, increased soil salinity also inhibits water absorption, resulting in physiological drought stress. Salt tolerance in rice is a complex quantitative trait controlled by multiple genes. This review presents and discusses the recent research developments on salt stress impact on rice growth, rice salt tolerance mechanisms, the identification and selection of salt-tolerant rice resources, and strategies to improve rice salt tolerance. In recent years, the increased cultivation of water-saving and drought-resistance rice (WDR) has shown great application potential in alleviating the water resource crisis and ensuring food and ecological security. Here, we present an innovative germplasm selection strategy of salt-tolerant WDR, using a population that is developed by recurrent selection based on dominant genic male sterility. We aim to provide a reference for efficient genetic improvement and germplasm innovation of complex traits (drought and salt tolerance) that can be translated into breeding all economically important cereal crops. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Molecular Breeding for Drought and Salt Stress Tolerance in Crops)

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