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Genes and salt tolerance: bringing them together
Author(s) -
Munns Rana
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2005.01487.x
Subject(s) - salinity , gene , biology , shoot , botany , salt (chemistry) , senescence , soil salinity , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , ecology , chemistry
Summary Salinity tolerance comes from genes that limit the rate of salt uptake from the soil and the transport of salt throughout the plant, adjust the ionic and osmotic balance of cells in roots and shoots, and regulate leaf development and the onset of senescence. This review lists some candidate genes for salinity tolerance, and draws together hypotheses about the functions of these genes and the specific tissues in which they might operate. Little has been revealed by gene expression studies so far, perhaps because the studies are not tissue‐specific, and because the treatments are often traumatic and unnatural. Suggestions are made to increase the value of molecular studies in identifying genes that are important for salinity tolerance.ContentsSummary 645 I. Introduction 645 II. Physiological mechanisms of salt tolerance 646 III. Candidate genes for salt tolerance and results of transformation experiments 650 IV. Gene activity expected in roots, leaves and growing tissues of plants exposed to salinity, and results of gene expression studies 655 V. Conclusions 660Acknowledgements 660References 660