Sodium-Related Adaptations to Drought: New Insights From the Xerophyte Plant .

Understanding the unusual physiological mechanisms that enable drought tolerance in xerophytes will be of considerable benefit because of the potential to identify novel and key genetic elements for future crop improvements. These plants are interesting because they are well-adapted for life in arid zones; , for example, is a typical xerophytic shrub that inhabits central Asian deserts, accumulating substantial levels of sodium (Na) in its succulent leaves while growing in soils that contain very low levels of this ion. The physiological importance of this unusual trait to drought adaptations remains poorly understood, however.