The sodium transporter encoded by the HKT1;2 gene modulates sodium/potassium homeostasis in tomato shoots under salinity |
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Authors: | Noelia Jaime‐Pérez Benito Pineda Begoña García‐Sogo Alejandro Atares Asmini Athman Caitlin S Byrt Raquel Olías Maria José Asins Matthew Gilliham Vicente Moreno Andrés Belver |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology of Plants, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain;2. Laboratory of Tissue Culture and Plant Breeding, Institute of Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology, CSIC, Polytechnic University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain;3. ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine and Waite Research Institute, Waite Research Precinct, University of Adelaide, Glen Osmond, Australia;4. Plant Protection and Biotechnology Center, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Valencia, Spain |
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Abstract: | Excessive soil salinity diminishes crop yield and quality. In a previous study in tomato, we identified two closely linked genes encoding HKT1‐like transporters, HKT1;1 and HKT1;2, as candidate genes for a major quantitative trait locus (kc7.1) related to shoot Na+/K+ homeostasis – a major salt tolerance trait – using two populations of recombinant inbred lines (RILs). Here, we determine the effectiveness of these genes in conferring improved salt tolerance by using two near‐isogenic lines (NILs) that were homozygous for either the Solanum lycopersicum allele (NIL17) or for the Solanum cheesmaniae allele (NIL14) at both HKT1 loci; transgenic lines derived from these NILs in which each HKT1;1 and HKT1;2 had been silenced by stable transformation were also used. Silencing of ScHKT1;2 and SlHKT1;2 altered the leaf Na+/K+ ratio and caused hypersensitivity to salinity in plants cultivated under transpiring conditions, whereas silencing SlHKT1;1/ScHKT1;1 had a lesser effect. These results indicate that HKT1;2 has the more significant role in Na+ homeostasis and salinity tolerance in tomato. |
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