, a Chloride Channel Gene from Upland Cotton, Positively Regulates Salt Tolerance by Modulating the Accumulation of Chloride Ions.

The ionic toxicity induced by salinization has adverse effects on the growth and development of crops. However, researches on ionic toxicity and salt tolerance in plants have focused primarily on cations such as sodium ions (Na), with very limited studies on chloride ions (Cl). Here, we cloned the homologous genes of , , from upland cotton (), which were significantly induced by NaCl or KCl treatments. Subcellular localization showed that GhCLCc-1A/D were both localized to the tonoplast. Complementation of mutant with rescued its salt-sensitive phenotype. In addition, the silencing of the gene led to an increased accumulation of Cl in the roots, stems, and leaves of cotton seedlings under salt treatments, resulting in compromised salt tolerance. And ectopic expression of the gene in reduced the accumulation of Cl in transgenic lines under salt treatments, thereby enhancing salt tolerance. These findings elucidate that positively regulates salt tolerance by modulating Cl accumulation and could be a potential target gene for improving salt tolerance in plants.