Chen Haomin, Xie Zhihao, Chen Mingming, Zhu Peiyi, Chen Daming, Huang Yongxiang, Dai Shuangfeng
College of Coastal Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China.
National Saline-tolerant Rice Technology Innovation Center, South China, Zhanjiang, China.
Rice (N Y). 2025 Jul 7;18(1):62. doi: 10.1186/s12284-025-00819-y.
Salt stress is a major limiting factor for rice productivity worldwide, and improving salt tolerance is crucial for ensuring sustainable agricultural production. In this study, we investigate the use of RNA aptamers to modulate eukaryotic initiation factor 4 A (eIF4A), a key regulator of translation initiation under stress conditions, to enhance salt stress tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa). Using Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment (SELEX), we isolated high-affinity RNA aptamers that specifically bind to eIF4A. One aptamer, eApt-2, was found to bind eIF4A with high affinity, selectively blocking cap-dependent translation initiation. Radioisotope‑based helicase assays confirmed that eApt‑2 does not impair eIF4A's intrinsic RNA‑unwinding activity. Transfected rice expressing eApt-2 exhibited enhanced salt stress tolerance, with improved growth, biomass accumulation, and photosynthetic activity under saline conditions. Moreover, stable transgenic rice lines expressing eApt‑2 maintained enhanced growth and biomass accumulation under 150 mM NaCl stress, mirroring transient expression results, and transgenic Arabidopsis lines showed similar tolerance. Our results demonstrate the potential of RNA aptamers as a precise, reversible tool for enhancing stress resilience in crops, offering an alternative to conventional genetic modification methods. This study opens new avenues for engineering salt-tolerant rice and highlights the broader applicability of RNA aptamers in improving plant responses to abiotic stresses.
盐胁迫是全球水稻产量的主要限制因素，提高耐盐性对于确保农业可持续生产至关重要。在本研究中，我们研究了使用RNA适体来调节真核生物起始因子4A（eIF4A），它是胁迫条件下翻译起始的关键调节因子，以增强水稻（Oryza sativa）的耐盐胁迫能力。通过指数富集的配体系统进化（SELEX），我们分离出了与eIF4A特异性结合的高亲和力RNA适体。发现一种适体eApt-2与eIF4A具有高亲和力，选择性地阻断帽依赖性翻译起始。基于放射性同位素的解旋酶分析证实，eApt-2不会损害eIF4A的内在RNA解旋活性。表达eApt-2的转基因水稻在盐胁迫下表现出增强的耐盐性，在盐胁迫条件下生长、生物量积累和光合活性均有所改善。此外，表达eApt-2的稳定转基因水稻品系在150 mM NaCl胁迫下保持了增强的生长和生物量积累，这与瞬时表达结果一致，转基因拟南芥品系也表现出类似的耐受性。我们的结果证明了RNA适体作为增强作物胁迫恢复力的精确、可逆工具的潜力，为传统基因改造方法提供了一种替代方案。这项研究为培育耐盐水稻开辟了新途径，并突出了RNA适体在改善植物对非生物胁迫反应方面的更广泛适用性。
