Abstract
Salinity stress is one of the major threats to agricultural productivity across the globe. Research in the past three decades, therefore, has focused on analyzing the effects of salinity stress on the plants. Evidence gathered over the years supports the role of ethylene as a key regulator of salinity stress tolerance in plants. This gaseous plant hormone regulates many vital cellular processes starting from seed germination to photosynthesis for maintaining the plants’ growth and yield under salinity stress. Ethylene modulates salinity stress responses largely via maintaining the homeostasis of Na+/K+, nutrients, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) by inducing antioxidant defense in addition to elevating the assimilation of nitrates and sulfates. Moreover, a cross-talk of ethylene signaling with other phytohormones has also been observed, which collectively regulate the salinity stress responses in plants. The present review provides a comprehensive update on the prospects of ethylene signaling and its cross-talk with other phytohormones to regulate salinity stress tolerance in plants.
Highlights
Ethylene, the first gaseous plant hormone to be identified, is a key regulator of plant growth and development
OsERS1 from rice and NTHK1 from tobacco are associated with the plasma membrane, suggesting that ethylene can be perceived at multiple locations in the cells [44]
Ectopic expression of a homolog of AtERF38 (GhERF38 from G. hirsutum) in Arabidopsis resulted in abscisic acid (ABA) sensitivity in transgenic lines; reduced seed germination under salinity and drought stress was observed in the transgenic plants as compared to wild type (WT) [101]
Summary
The first gaseous plant hormone to be identified, is a key regulator of plant growth and development. Ethylene has emerged as one of the important positive mediators for salinity stress tolerance in the model plant A. thaliana as well as in many crop plants including grapevines, maize, and tomato [10,11,12,13]. More than 20% of irrigated land is affected by salinity stress, resulting in an average yield fall of more than 50% for major crops [16,17]. Salinity stress negatively influences seed germination, growth, physiology, productivity, and reproduction and sometimes even results in death under severe conditions [25]. Salinity stress-induced ROS accumulation can lead to uncontrolled oxidation of membranes, proteins, and DNA, resulting in cell death [31]. Successful detoxification of the stress-induced ROS is one of the crucial factors in salinity stress adaptation, and ethylene seems to play a pivotal role in ROS detoxification, thereby providing adaptation to salinity stress [35,36]
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