Genetic overlap between salt and low-temperature tolerance loci at germination stage of soybean

Salt and low temperature were both very important factors for soybean production. It was necessary to improve the salt stress and low-temperature tolerance of soybean. The main purpose of this paper was to map the quantitative trait loci(QTL) related with salt tolerance and low- temperature tolerance at germination stage with backcross introgression lines(BILs),and analyze the genetic overlap between them. There were 22 QTL located with BC2 F4 introgression populations after salt stress,and 15 QTL were mapped after low-temperature stress. Seven overlapping QTLs between salt tolerance and low-temperature tolerance were detected on 6 linkage groups at germination stage. In total,there were 31.81 % of salt tolerance and low-temperature tolerance loci existed genetic overlap.

Multidimensional evaluation of salt tolerance in groundnut genotypes through biochemical responses

The manuscript explores the complex interplay between groundnut genotypes,salt tolerance and hormonal influence,shedding light on the dynamic responses of three specific groundnut genotypes,KDG-128,TG-37 A and GG-20,to salt treatments and gibberellic acid(GA3).The study encompasses germination,plant growth,total protein content and oil content as key parameters.Through comprehensive analysis,it identifies TG-37 A and KDG-128 as salt-tolerant genotypes,and GG-20 as salt-susceptible genotypes,which highlighting the potential for targeted breeding efforts to develop more resilient groundnut varieties.Moreover,the quantification of protein and oil content under different treatments provides vital data for optimizing nutritional profiles in groundnut cultivars.Principal Component Analysis(PCA) underscores the significance of the first principal component(PC1)in explaining the majority of variance,capturing primary trends and differences in plant length.Analysis of Variance(ANOVA) and hierarchical analysis confirm the presence of statistically significant differences in protein and oil content among the genotypes.Pearson's correlation coefficient matrix analysis reveals strong positive correlations between plant length and protein content,plant length and oil content,and a moderately positive correlation between protein content and oil content.These findings provide valuable insights into groundnut physiology,salt tolerance,and nutritional composition,with implications for future research in sustainable agriculture and crop improvement.

Overexpression of a Chloroplast-located Peroxiredoxin Q Gene, SsPrxQ, Increases the Salt and Low-temperature Tolerance of Arabidopsis

Ablotlc stress, such as salt, drought and extreme temperature, can result in enhanced production of reactive oxygen species （ROS）. Plants have developed both enzymatic ROS-scavenging and non-enzymatic ROS-scavenging systems. The major ROS-scavenging enzymes of plants include superoxide dismutase （SOD）, ascorbate peroxldaae （APX）, catalaae （CAT）, glutathione peroxldaae （GPX） and peroxiredoxina （Prxa）. In the present work, we identified a gene encoding chloroplast-located peroxiredoxin Q, SsPrxQ, from Suaeda salsa L. located at chloroplast. Overexpression of SsPrxQ In Arabidopsis leads to an increase In salt and low-temperature tolerance.

Boosting oxygen reduction activity and CO_(2) resistance on bismuth ferrite-based perovskite cathode for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells below 600℃

Developing efficient and stable cathodes for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells(LT-SOFCs) is of great importance for the practical commercialization.Herein,we propose a series of Sm-modified Bi_(0.7-x)Sm_xSr_(0.3)FeO_(3-δ) perovskites as highly-active catalysts for LT-SOFCs.Sm doping can significantly enhance the electrocata lytic activity and chemical stability of cathode.At 600℃,Bi_(0.675)Sm_(0.025)Sr_(0.3)FeO_(3-δ)(BSSF25) cathode has been found to be the optimum composition with a polarization resistance of 0.098 Ω cm^2,which is only around 22.8% of Bi_(0.7)Sr_(0.3)FeO_(3-δ)(BSF).A full cell utilizing BSSF25 displays an exceptional output density of 790 mW cm^(-2),which can operate continuously over100 h without obvious degradation.The remarkable electrochemical performance observed can be attributed to the improved O_(2) transport kinetics,superior surface oxygen adsorption capacity,as well as O_(2)p band centers in close proximity to the Fermi level.Moreover,larger average bonding energy(ABE) and the presence of highly acidic Bi,Sm,and Fe ions restrict the adsorption of CO_(2) on the cathode surface,resulting in excellent CO_(2) resistivity.This work provides valuable guidance for systematic design of efficient and durable catalysts for LT-SOFCs.

OsMas1,a novel maspardin protein gene,confers tolerance to salt and drought stresses by regulating ABA signaling in rice

Drought and salt stresses,the major environmental abiotic stresses in agriculture worldwide,affect plant growth,crop productivity,and quality.Therefore,developing crops with higher drought and salt tolerance is highly desirable.This study reported the isolation,biological function,and molecular characterization of a novel maspardin gene,OsMas1,from rice.The OsMas1 protein was localized to the cytoplasm.The expression levels of OsMas1 were up-regulated under mannitol,PEG6000,NaCl,and abscisic acid(ABA) treatments in rice.The OsMas1 gene was introduced into the rice cultivar Zhonghua 11(wild type,WT).OsMas1-overexpression(OsMas1-OE) plants exhibited significantly enhanced salt and drought tolerance;in contrast,OsMas1-interference(OsMas1-RNAi) plants exhibited decreased tolerance to salt and drought stresses,compared with WT.OsMas1-OE plants exhibited enhanced hypersensitivity,while OsMas1-RNAi plants showed less sensitivity to exogenous ABA treatment at both germination and post-germination stages.ABA,proline and K+ contents and superoxide dismutase(SOD),catalase(CAT),peroxidase(POD),and photosynthesis activities were significantly increased.In contrast,malonaldehyde(MDA),hydrogen peroxide(H2O2),superoxide anion radical(O2-··),and Na+ contents were significantly decreased in OsMas1-OE plants compared with OsMas1-RNAi and WT plants.Overexpression of OsMas1 up-regulated the genes involved in ABA signaling,proline biosynthesis,reactive oxygen species(ROS)-scavenging system,photosynthesis,and ion transport under salt and drought stresses.Our results indicate that the OsMas1 gene improves salt and drought tolerance in rice,which may serve as a candidate gene for enhancing crop resistance to abiotic stresses.

Advances in deciphering salt tolerance mechanism in maize

Maize(Zea mays L.)is a global cereal crop whose demand is projected to double by 2050.Along with worsening of farmland salinization,salt stress has become a major environmental threat to the sustainability of maize production worldwide.Accordingly,there is an urgent need to decipher salt-tolerant mechanisms and facilitate the breeding of salt-tolerant maize.As salt tolerance is a complex trait regulated by multiple genes,and maize germplasm varies widely in salt tolerance,efforts have been devoted to the identification and application of quantitative-trait loci(QTL)for salt tolerance.QTL associated with ion regulation,osmotic tolerance,and other aspects of salt tolerance have been discovered using genomewide association studies(GWAS),linkage mapping,and omics-based approaches.This review highlights recent advances in the molecular-level understanding of salt stress response in maize,in particular in(a)the discovery of salt-tolerance QTL,(b)the mechanisms of salt tolerance,(c)the development of salttolerant maize cultivars,and(d)current challenges and future prospects.

The Improvement of Soybean Salt Tolerance by Overexpressed GmPAO1

Polyamines play an important regulatory role during plant growth and development and adversity stress,and polyamine oxidase(PAO)is involved in polyamine catabolism.In this study,an up-regulated polyamine oxidase gene GmPAO1 was obtained by transcriptome sequencing analysis and screening at soybean seedling stages.Also,its expression pattern and function were analyzed.The identification results of transgenic GmPAO1 soybean positive lines showed that the relative expression level of GmPAO1 in the overexpressed lines was increased under salt stress.With increasing stress concentration,the seed germination rate decreased.However,the seed germination rate of the overexpressed lines was significantly higher than that of the control lines,and the phenotypic character of the root systems was also better than that of the control lines.The measurement of superoxide dismutase(SOD)and peroxidase(POD)activities and malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide contents revealed that the overexpressed soybean lines significantly increased the SOD and POD activities,significantly reducing the malondialdehyde content.Although the hydrogen peroxide content in the transformed plants gradually increased,the hydrogen peroxide content in the overexpression lines was still lower than that in the gene editing lines.Based on this,it was preliminarily judged that GmPAO1 can improve soybean salt tolerance.

A cluster of mutagenesis revealed an osmotic regulatory role of the OsPIP1 genes in enhancing rice salt tolerance

Aquaporins play important regulatory roles in improving plant abiotic stress tolerance.To better understand whether the Os PIP1 genes collectively dominate the osmotic regulation in rice under salt stress,a cluster editing of the Os PIP1;1,Os PIP1;2 and Os PIP1;3 genes in rice was performed by CRISPR/Cas9 system.Sequencing showed that two mutants with Cas9-free,line 14 and line 18 were successfully edited.Briefly,line 14 deleted a single C base in both the Os PIP1;1 and Os PIP1;3 genes,and inserted a single T base in the Os PIP1;2 gene,respectively.While line 18 demonstrated an insertion of a single A base in the Os PIP1;1gene and a single T base in both the Os PIP1;2 and Os PIP1;3 genes,respectively.Multiplex editing of the Os PIP1 genes significantly inhibited photosynthetic rate and accumulation of compatible metabolites,but increased MDA contents and osmotic potentials in the mutants,thus delaying rice growth under salt stress.Functional loss of the Os PIP1 genes obviously suppressed the expressions of the Os PIP1,Os SOS1,Os CIPK24 and Os CBL4 genes,and increased the influxes of Na+and effluxes of K^(+)/H^(+)in the roots,thus accumulating more Na+in rice mutants under salt stress.This study suggests that the Os PIP1 genes are essential modulators collectively contributing to the enhancement of rice salt stress tolerance,and multiplex editing of the Os PIP1 genes provides insight into the osmotic regulation of the PIP genes.

Eco-friendly aqueous foam stabilized by cellulose microfibers with great salt tolerance and high temperature resistance

A low-cost eco-friendly aqueous foam,especially the robust foam with great tolerance to high salinity and high temperature,is in great demand in the oil industry,e.g.,oil and gas well or geothermal well drilling.Herein,an ultra-stable aqueous foam was developed using the biodegradable cellulose microfiber(CMF)as a foam stabilizer.The foam stabilized by CMF shows excellent tolerance to the high concentration of NaCl(6.0 wt%)and CaCl_(2)(0.25 wt%)and the related drainage half-life times(T_(0.5))reach 1750 and 2340 s respectively.By contrast,the foams without CMF are completely drained(T_(0.5)=0 s)when NaCl concentration is greater than 6.0 wt%or CaCl_(2) concentration is greater than 0.20 wt%.Notably,T0.5 of the foams stabilized by CMF at these saline concentrations still can maintain above 1000 s even after aging at 120℃ for 16 h,exhibiting an outstanding foam-stabilizing performance at high temperature.Experimental results suggest that the salt and high-temperature tolerance of CMF in foam stabilization is attributed to the electrically uncharged surfaces,the formation of a gel-like structure and the excellent thermal stability.This work not only provides a promising candidate of aqueous foam stabilizer to deal with high temperature and high salinity but also presents a natural-based solution for an environmentally friendly drilling industry in the future.

Temperature/salt tolerance and oil recovery of xanthan gum solution enhanced by surface-modified nanosilicas

Amide-and alkyl-modified nanosilicas(AANPs)were synthesized and introduced into Xanthan gum(XG)solution,aiming to improve the temperature/salt tolerance and oil recovery.The rheological behaviors of XG/AANP hybrid dispersions were systematically studied at different concentrations,temperatures and inorganic salts.At high temperature(75C)and high salinity(10,000 mg,L1 NaCl),AANPs increase the apparent viscosity and dynamic modulus of the XG solution,and XG/AANP hybrid dispersion exhibits elastic-dominant properties.The most effective concentrations of XG and AANP interacting with each other are 1750 mg·L^(-1) and 0.74 wt%,respectively.The temperature tolerance of XG solution is not satisfactory,and high temperature further weakens the salt tolerance of XG.However,the AANPs significantly enhance the viscoelasticity the XG solution through hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic effect.Under reservoir conditions,XG/AANP hybrid recovers approximately 18.5%more OOIP(original oil in place)than AANP and 11.3%more OOIP than XG.The enhanced oil recovery mechanism of the XG/AANP hybrid is mainly increasing the sweep coefficient,the contribution from the reduction of oil-water interfacial tension is less.

SlTPP4 participates in ABA-mediated salt tolerance by enhancing root architecture in tomato

Salinity tolerance is an important physiological index for crop breeding.Roots are typically the first plant tissue to withstand salt stress.In this study,we found that the tomato(Solanum lycopersicum)trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase(SlTPP4)gene is induced by abscisic acid(ABA)and salt,and is mainly expressed in roots.Overexpression of SlTPP4 in tomato enhanced tolerance to salt stress,resulting in better growth performance.Under saline conditions,SlTPP4 overexpression plants demonstrated enhanced sucrose metabolism,as well as increased expression of genes related to salt tolerance.At the same time,expression of genes related to ABA biosynthesis and signal transduction was enhanced or altered,respectively.In-depth exploration demonstrated that SlTPP4 enhances Casparian band development in roots to restrict the intake of Na^(+).Our study thus clarifies the mechanism of SlTPP4-mediated salt tolerance,which will be of great importance for the breeding of salt-tolerant tomato crops.

Salt Tolerance in Rice: Focus on Mechanisms and Approaches

Salt tolerance is an important constrain for rice, which is generally categorized as a typical glycophyte. Soil salinity is one of the major constraints affecting rice production worldwide, especially in the coastal areas. Susceptibility or tolerance of rice plants to high salinity is a coordinated action of multiple stress responsive genes, which also interacts with other components of stress signal transduction pathways. Salt tolerant varieties can be produced by marker-assisted selection or genetic engineering by introducing salt-tolerance genes. In this review, we have updated on mechanisms and genes which can help in transferring of the salt tolerance into high-yielding rice varieties. We have focused on the need for integrating phenotyping, genomics, metabolic profiling and phenomics into transgenic and breeding approaches to develop high-yielding as well as salt tolerant rice varieties.

Plant salt tolerance and Na^+ sensing and transport

Salinity is a global challenge to agricultural production. Understanding Na^+ sensing and transport in plants under salt stress will be of benefit for breeding robustly salt-tolerant crop species. In this review, first, possible salt stress sensor candidates and the root meristem zone as a tissue harboring salt stress-sensing components are proposed. Then,the importance of Na^+ exclusion and vacuolar Na^+ sequestration in plant overall salt tolerance is highlighted. Other Na^+ regulation processes, including xylem Na^+ loading and unloading, phloem Na^+ recirculation, and Na^+ secretion, are discussed and summarized.Along with a summary of Na^+ transporters and channels, the molecular regulation of Na^+ transporters and channels in response to salt stress is discussed. Finally, some largely neglected issues in plant salt stress tolerance, including Na^+ concentration in cytosol and the role of Na^+ as a nutrient, are reviewed and discussed.

Overexpression of GmDREB1 improves salt tolerance in transgenic wheat and leaf protein response to high salinity

The transcription factor dehydration-responsive element binding protein(DREB)is able to improve tolerance to abiotic stress in plants by regulating the expression of downstream genes involved in environmental stress resistance.The objectives of this study were to evaluate the salt tolerance of GmDREB1 transgenic wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)and to evaluate its physiological and protein responses to salt stress.Compared with the wild type,the transgenic lines overexpressing GmDREB1 showed longer coleoptiles and radicles and a greater radicle number at the germination stage,as well as greater root length,fresh weight,and tiller number per plant at the seedling stage.The yield-related traits of transgenic lines were also improved compared with the wild type,indicating enhanced salt tolerance in transgenic lines overexpressing GmDREB1.Proteomics analysis revealed that osmotic-and oxidative-stressrelated proteins were up-regulated in transgenic wheat leaves under salt stress conditions.Transgenic wheat had higher levels of proline and betaine and lower levels of malondialdehyde and relative electrolyte leakage than the wild type.These results suggest that GmDREB1 regulates the expression of osmotic-and oxidative-stress-related proteins that reduce the occurrence of cell injury caused by high salinity,thus improving the salt tolerance of transgenic wheat.

The landscape of molecular mechanisms for salt tolerance in wheat

Wheat is one of the most important food crops, and its yield is seriously restricted by high salinity and other abiotic stresses. Many attempts have been made to elucidate the major physiological processes associated with salt tolerance and to identify the genes controlling the processes. In this review, the major role of high-affinity potassium transporter(HKT)genes in enhancing the salt tolerance of wheat is summarized. The link between maintenance of reactive oxygen species(ROS) homeostasis and salt tolerance through a comprehensive study of a wheat introgression line is examined, and the contribution of a set of genes involved in this process is depicted. New research strategies to uncover the mechanisms underlying salt tolerance in wheat based on recent advances in omics will be discussed.

Gm NAC15 overexpression in hairy roots enhances salt tolerance in soybean

The NAC （NAM, ATAF1/2 and CUC2） transcription factor family plays a key role in plant development and responses to abiotic stress. GmNAC15 （Glyma 15g40510.1）, a member of the NAC transcription factor family in soybean, was functionally characterized, especially with regard to its role in salt tolerance. In the present study, qRT-PCR （quantitative reverse transcription PCR） analysis indicated that GmNAC15 was induced by salt, drought, low temperature stress, and ABA treatment in roots and leaves. GmNAC15 overexpression in soybean （Glycine max） hairy roots enhanced salt tolerance. Transgenic hairy roots improved the survival of wild leaves; however, overexpression of GmNAC15 in hairy root couldn＇t influnce the expression level of GmNAC15 in leaf. GmNAC15 regulates the expression levels of genes responsive to salt stress. Altogether, these results provide experimental evidence of the positive effect of GmNAC15 on salt tolerance in soybean and the potential application of genetic manipulation to enhance the salt tolerance of important crops.

A wheat gene Ta SAP17-D encoding an AN1/AN1 zinc finger protein improves salt stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis

The stress-associated protein （SAP） multigene family is conserved in both animals and plants. Its function in some an- imals and plants are known, but it is yet to be deciphered in wheat （Triticum aestivum L.）. We identified the wheat gene TaSAP17-D, a member of the SAP gene family with an AN1/AN1 conserved domain. Subcellular localization indicated that TaSAP17-D localized to the nucleus, cytoplasm, and cell membrane. Expression pattern analyses revealed that TaSAP17-D was highly expressed in seedlings and was involved in NaCI response, polyethylene glycol （PEG）, cold, and exogenous abscisic acid （ABA）. Constitutive expression of TaSAP17-D in transgenic Arabidopsis resulted in enhanced tolerance to salt stress, confirmed by improved multiple physiological indices and significantly upregulated marker genes related to salt stress response. Our results suggest that TaSAP17-D is a candidate gene that can be used to protect crop plants from salt stress.

Mapping and validation of a dominant salt tolerance gene in the cultivated soybean(Glycine max) variety Tiefeng 8

Salt is an abiotic stress factor that strongly affects soybean growth and production. A single dominant gene has been shown to confer salt tolerance in the soybean cultivar Tiefeng 8.The objective of the present study was to genetically map the salt-tolerance gene in an F2:3population and a recombinant inbred line(RIL) population derived from a cross between two cultivated soybeans, Tiefeng 8(tolerant) and 85-140(sensitive). The F2:3families and RILs were treated with 200 mmol L-1Na Cl to evaluate salt tolerance. The F2:3population showed 1(42 tolerant): 2(132 segregating): 1(65 sensitive) segregation, indicating a single dominant gene for salt tolerance in Tiefeng 8. A sequence-characterized amplified region(SCAR) marker from a previously identified random amplified polymorphic DNA(RAPD)marker and four insertion/deletion polymorphism(In Del) markers were developed within the mapping region. Using these markers along with SSR markers, the salt-tolerance gene was mapped within 209 kb flanked by SCAR marker QS08064 and SSR marker Barcsoyssr_3_1301 on chromosome 3. Three markers that cosegregated with the salt tolerance gene and SCAR marker QS08064 were used to genotype 35 tolerant and 23 sensitive soybean accessions. These markers showed selection efficiencies of 76.2% to94.2%. The results indicate that these markers will be useful for marker-assisted breeding and facilitating map-based cloning of the salt tolerance gene in soybean.

Cloning and Characterization of a Salt Tolerance-Associated Gene Encoding Trehalose-6-Phosphate Synthase in Sweetpotato

Trehalose plays an important role in metabolic regulation and abiotic stress tolerance in a variety of organisms. In plants, its biosynthesis is catalyzed by two key enzymes： trehalose-6-phosphate synthase（TPS） and trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase（TPP）. In the present study, a TPS gene, named IbTPS, was first isolated from sweetpotato（Ipomoea batatas（L.） Lam.） cv. Lushu 3 by rapid amplification of cDNA ends（RACE）. The open reading frame（ORF） contained 2 580 nucleotides encoding 859 amino acids with a molecular weight of 97.433 kDa and an isoelectric point（pI） of 5.7. The deduced amino acid sequence showed high identities with TPS of other plants. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the expression level of IbTPS gene was significantly higher in stems of Lushu 3 than in its leaves and roots. Subcellular localization analysis in onion epidermal cells indicated that IbTPS gene was located in the nucleus. Transgenic tobacco（cv. Wisconsin 38） plants over-expressing IbTPS gene exhibited significantly higher salt tolerance compared with the control plant. Trehalose and proline content was found to be significantly more accumulated in transgenic tobacco plants than in the wild-type and several stress tolerance related genes were up-regulated. These results suggest that IbTPS gene may enhance salt tolerance of plants by increasing the amount of treahalose and proline and regulating the expression of stress tolerance related genes.

Molecular Cloning and Functional Characterization of a Salt Tolerance-Associated Gene IbNFU1 from Sweetpotato

Iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis involving the nitrogen fixation（Nif） proteins has been proposed as a general mechanism acting in various organisms.NifU-like protein may play an important role in protecting plants against abiotic and biotic stresses.Based on the EST sequence selected from salt-stressed suppression subtractive hybridization（SSH） cDNA library constructed with a salt-tolerant mutant LM79,a NFU gene,termed IbNFU1,was cloned from sweetpotato（Ipomoea batatas（L.） Lam.） via rapid amplification of cDNA ends（RACE）.The cDNA sequence of 1 117 bp contained an 846 bp open reading frame encoding a 281 amino acids polypeptide with a molecular weight of 30.5 kDa and an isoelectric point（pI） of 5.12.IbNFU1 gene contained a conserved Cys-X-X-Cys motif in C-terminal of the iron-sulfur cluster domain.The deduced amino acid sequence had 66.08 to 71.99% sequence identity to NFU genes reported in Arabidopsis thaliana,Eucalyptus grandis and Vitis vinifera.Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the expression level of IbNFU1 gene was significantly higher in the roots of the mutant LM79 compared to the wild-type Lizixiang.Transgenic tobacco（cv.Wisconsin 38） plants expressing IbNFU1 gene exhibited significantly higher salt tolerance compared to the untransformed control plants.It is proposed that IbNFU1 gene has an important function for salt tolerance of plants.