Li Cheng, Lu Kai, Liang Wen-Hua, Chen Tao, Yao Shu, He Lei, Wei Xiao-Dong, Zhao Ling, Zhou Li-Hui, Zhao Chun-Fang, Zhao Qing-Yong, Zhu Zhen, Wang Cai-Lin, Zhang Ya-Dong
Institute of Food Crops/Nanjing Branch of China National Center for Rice Improvement/National Center of Technology Innovation for Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice/Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory/Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Science, Nanjing, 210014, China.
Rice (N Y). 2025 Jun 7;18(1):48. doi: 10.1186/s12284-025-00802-7.
Salt stress poses a severe threat to global rice productivity, and developing salt-tolerant cultivars represents a critical strategy to address this challenge. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying salt tolerance in rice remain elusive. This study focuses on NGY1, a crossbred offspring between YF47 and SN9903, which showed superior salt tolerance compared to its parent lines during the seedling stage. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of seedlings harvested at distinct temporal stages of salt stress identified over 10,000 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Functional enrichment analyses (GO and KEGG) revealed that NGY1 uniquely mobilized a broader repertoire of stress-responsive genes within shorter timeframes than its parents lines, particularly those associated with redox homeostasis, phytohormone signaling, and MAPK cascades. Meanwhile, NGY1 can rapidly upregulate genes related to salt tolerance compared to its parent during the initial stress phase. Additionally, differences in salt tolerance between NGY1 and its parents were linked to variations in alternative splicing and the high expression of certain NBS-LRR protein genes early in salt stress exposure. These findings not only provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of salt tolerance, but also provide a theoretical basis for genetic improvement of salt tolerance in rice.
盐胁迫对全球水稻生产力构成严重威胁，培育耐盐品种是应对这一挑战的关键策略。然而，水稻耐盐性的分子机制仍不清楚。本研究聚焦于NGY1，它是YF47和SN9903的杂交后代，在苗期表现出比其亲本更高的耐盐性。对在盐胁迫不同时间阶段收获的幼苗进行RNA测序（RNA-seq），鉴定出超过10000个差异表达基因（DEG）。功能富集分析（GO和KEGG）表明，与亲本相比，NGY1能在更短时间内独特地调动更广泛的应激反应基因库，特别是那些与氧化还原稳态、植物激素信号传导和MAPK级联相关的基因。同时，在初始胁迫阶段，与亲本相比，NGY1能快速上调与耐盐性相关的基因。此外，NGY1与其亲本之间的耐盐性差异与可变剪接的变化以及盐胁迫暴露早期某些NBS-LRR蛋白基因的高表达有关。这些发现不仅为耐盐性的分子机制提供了新见解，也为水稻耐盐性的遗传改良提供了理论依据。
