Title:Looking at Halophytic Adaptation to High Salinity Through Genomics Landscape
VOLUME: 18 ISSUE: 6
Author(s):G. C. Nikalje, T. D. Nikam and P. Suprasanna*
Affiliation:Department of Botany, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 411 007, Department of Botany, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 411 007, Plant Stress Physiology and Biotechnology Section, Nuclear Agriculture and Biotechnology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 4000085
Keywords:Halophytes, Salinity, Redox homeostasis, Genomics, miRNAs, Hormonal regulation.
Abstract:Soil salinity is an important stress factor that limits plant growth and productivity. For a
given plant species, it is critical to sense and respond to salt stimuli followed by activation of multitude
of mechanisms for plants to survive. Halophytes, the wonders of saline soils, have demonstrated
ability to withstand and reproduce in at least 200 mM NaCl concentration, which makes them an ideal
system to study mechanism of salt adaptation for imparting salt tolerance in glycophytes. Halophytes
and salt sensitive glycophytes adapt different defense strategies towards salinity stress. These responses
in halophytes are modulated by a well orchestrated network of signaling pathways, including
calcium signaling, reactive oxygen species and phytohormones. Moreover, constitutive expression of
salt stress response related genes, which is only salt inducible in glycophytes, maintains salt tolerance
traits in halophytes. The focus of this review is on the adaptive considerations of halophytes through
the genomics approaches from the point of view of sensing and signaling components involved in mediating
plant responses to salinity.
