Germination variation in Arabidopsis thaliana accessions under moderate osmotic and salt stresses.

Background: Water and salt stresses are two important environmental factors that limit the germination of seeds in most ecological environments. Most studies conducted so far to address the genetic basis of the above phenomenon have used stress conditions that are much more extreme than those found in natural environments. Furthermore, although an excess of ions and water restrictions have similar osmotic effects on germination, the common and divergent signalling components mediating the effects of both factors remain unknown.

The ionic environment controls the contribution of the barley HvHAK1 transporter to potassium acquisition.

The control of potassium (K+) acquisition is a critical requirement for plant growth. Although HAK1 (high affinity K+ 1) transporters provide a pathway for K+ acquisition, the effect exerted by the ionic environment on their contribution to K+ capture remains essentially unknown. Here, the influence of the ionic environment on the accumulation of transcripts coding for the barley (Hordeum vulgare) HvHAK1 transporter as well as on HvHAK1-mediated K+ capture has been examined.