Upregulation of genes encoding plastidic isoforms of antioxidant enzymes and osmolyte synthesis impart tissue tolerance to salinity stress in bread wheat.

Wheat genotype Kharchia is a donor for salt tolerance in wheat breeding programs worldwide; however, the tolerance mechanism in Kharchia is yet to be deciphered completely. To avoid spending energy on accumulating organic osmolytes and to conserve resources for maintaining growth, plants deploy sodium (Na+) ions to maintain turgor. The enhanced ability to tolerate excess ion accumulation and ion toxicity is designated as tissue tolerance. In this study, salt-tolerant wheat genotype (Kharchia 65) and sensitive cultivars (HD2687, HD2009, WL711) were exposed to vegetative stage salinity stress (for four weeks). Kharchia 65 showed better tissue tolerance to salinity than the other genotypes based on different physiological parameters. Gene expression and abundance of chloroplast localized antioxidant enzymes and compatible osmolyte synthesis were upregulated by salinity in Kharchia 65. In Kharchia 65, the higher abundance of NADPH Oxidase (RBOH) transcripts and localization of reactive oxygen species (ROS) suggested an apoplastic ROS burst. Expression of calcium signaling genes of SOS pathway, MAPK6, bZIP6 and NAC4 were also upregulated by salinity in Kharchia 65. Considering that Kharchia local is the donor of salt tolerance trait in Kharchia 65, the publically available Kharchia local transcriptome data were analyzed. Our results and the in-silico transcriptome analysis also confirmed that higher basal levels and the stress-induced rise in the expression of plastidic isoforms of antioxidant enzymes and osmolyte biosynthesis genes provide tissue tolerance in Kharchia 65. Thus, in salinity tolerant genotype Kharchia 65, ROS burst mediated triggering of calcium signaling improves Na+ exclusion and tissue tolerance to Na+. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-022-01237-w.

Differential expression of salt overly sensitive pathway genes determines salinity stress tolerance in Brassica genotypes.

The objective of the present study was to examine the role of SOS pathway in salinity stress tolerance in Brassica spp. An experiment was conducted in pot culture with 4 Brassica genotypes, i.e., CS 52 and CS 54, Varuna and T 9 subjected to two levels of salinity treatments along with a control, viz., 1.65 (S(0)), 4.50 (S(1)) and 6.76 (S(2)) dS m(-1). Salinity treatment significantly decreased relative water content (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI) and chlorophyll (Chl) content in leaves and potassium (K) content in leaf, stem and root of all the genotypes. The decline in RWC, MSI, Chl and K content was significantly less in CS 52 and CS 54 as compared to Varuna and T 9. In contrast, the sodium (Na) content increased under salinity stress in all the plant parts in all the genotypes, however, the increase was less in CS 52 and CS 54, which also showed higher K/Na ratio, and thus more favourable cellular environment. Gene expression studies revealed the existence of a more efficient salt overly sensitive pathway composed of SOS1, SOS2, SOS3 and vacuolar Na(+)/H(+) antiporter in CS 52 and CS 54 compared to Varuna and T 9. Sequence analyses of partial cDNAs showed the conserved nature of these genes, and their intra and intergenic relatedness. It is thus concluded that existence of an efficient SOS pathway, resulting in higher K/Na ratio, could be one of the major factor determining salinity stress tolerance of Brassica juncea genotypes CS 52 and CS 54.

Waterlogging-induced increase in sugar mobilization, fermentation, and related gene expression in the roots of mung bean (Vigna radiata).

The objective of this study was to examine the role of root carbohydrate levels and metabolism in the waterlogging tolerance of contrasting mung bean genotypes. An experiment was conducted with two cultivated mung bean (Vigna radiata) genotypes viz., T44 (tolerant) and Pusa Baisakhi (PB) (susceptible), and a wild Vigna species Vigna luteola under pot-culture to study the physiological and molecular mechanism of waterlogging tolerance. Waterlogging resulted in decrease in relative water content (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI) in root and leaf tissues, and chlorophyll (Chl) content in leaves, while the Chl a/b ratio increased. Waterlogging-induced decline in RWC, MSI, Chl and increase in Chl a/b ratio was greater in PB than V. luteola and T44. Waterlogging caused decline in total and non-reducing sugars in all the genotypes and reducing sugars in PB, while the content of reducing sugar increased in V. luteola and T44. The pattern of variation in reducing sugar content in the 3 genotypes was parallel to sucrose synthase (SS) activity. V. luteola and T44 also showed fewer declines in total and non-reducing sugars and greater increase in reducing sugar and SS activity than PB. Activity of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) increased up to 8d of waterlogging in V. luteola and T44, while in PB a marginal increase was observed only up to 4d of treatment. Gene expression studies done by RT-PCR in 24h waterlogged plants showed enhanced expression of ADH and SS in the roots of V. luteola and T44, while in PB there was no change in expression level in control or treated plants. PCR band products were cloned and sequenced, and partial cDNAs of 531, 626, and 667; 702, 736, and 744bp of SS and ADH, respectively were obtained. The partial cDNA sequences of cloned SS genes showed 93-100 homologies among different genotypes and with D10266, while in case of ADH the similarity was in the range of 97-100% amongst each other and with Z23170. The results suggest that the availability of sufficient sugar reserve in the roots, activity of SS to provide reducing sugars for glycolytic activity and ADH for the recycling of NADH, and for the continuation of glycolysis, could be one of the important mechanisms of waterlogging tolerance of V. radiata genotype T44 and wild species V. luteola. This was reflected in better RWC and Chl content in leaves, and membrane stability of leaf and root tissue in V. luteola and T44.