The transcription factor OsMYBc and an E3 ligase regulate expression of a K+ transporter during salt stress.

Sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) homeostasis is essential for plant survival in saline soils. A member of the High-Affinity K+ Transporter (HKT) family in rice (Oryza sativa), OsHKT1;1, is a vital regulator of Na+ exclusion from shoots and is bound by a MYB transcription factor (OsMYBc). Here, we generated transgenic rice lines in the oshkt1;1 mutant background for genetic complementation using genomic OsHKT1;1 containing a native (Com) or mutated (mCom) promoter that cannot be bound by OsMYBc.

An endoplasmic reticulum-localized cytochrome regulates high-affinity K transport in response to salt stress in rice.

Potassium (K) is an essential element for growth and development in both animals and plants, while high levels of environmental sodium (Na) represent a threat to most plants. The uptake of K from high-saline environments is an essential mechanism to maintain intracellular K/Na homeostasis, which can help reduce toxicity caused by Na accumulation, thereby improving the salt tolerance of plants. However, the mechanisms and regulation of K-uptake during salt stress remain poorly understood.

Tissue-specific accumulation of pH-sensing phosphatidic acid determines plant stress tolerance.

The signalling lipid phosphatidic acid (PA) is involved in regulating various fundamental biological processes in plants. However, the mechanisms of PA action remain poorly understood because currently available methods for monitoring PA fail to determine the precise spatio-temporal dynamics of this messenger in living cells and tissues of plants. Here, we have developed PAleon, a PA-specific optogenetic biosensor that reports the concentration and dynamics of bioactive PA at the plasma membrane based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET).