Abstract
BackgroundSalicornia europaea, a succulent obligatory halophyte is the most salt-tolerant plant species in the world. It survives salt concentrations of more than 1 M. Therefore, it is a suitable model plant to identify genes involved in salt tolerance mechanisms that can be used for the improvement of crops. The changes in a plant’s gene expression in response to abiotic stresses may depend on factors like soil conditions at the site, seasonality, etc. To date, experiments were performed to study the gene expression of S. europaea only under controlled conditions. Conversely, the present study investigates the transcriptome and physicochemical parameters of S. europaea shoots and roots from two different types of saline ecosystems growing under natural conditions.ResultsThe level of soil salinity was higher at the naturally saline site than at the anthropogenic saline site. The parameters such as ECe, Na+, Cl−, Ca+, SO42− and HCO3− of the soils and plant organs significantly varied according to sites and seasons. We found that Na+ mainly accumulated in shoots, whereas K+ and Ca2+ levels were higher in roots throughout the growing period. Moreover, changes in S. europaea gene expression were more prominent in seasons, than sites and plant organs. The 30 differentially expressed genes included enzymes for synthesis of S-adenosyl methionine, CP47 of light-harvesting complex II, photosystem I proteins, Hsp70 gene, ATP-dependent Clp proteases, ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), cytochrome c oxidase (COX) and ATP synthase.ConclusionThe comparisons made based on two seasons, plant organs and two different sites suggest the importance of seasonal variations in gene expression of S. europaea. We identify the genes that may play an important role in acclimation to season-dependent changes of salinity. The genes were involved in processes such as osmotic adjustment, energy metabolism and photosynthesis.
Highlights
Salicornia europaea, a succulent obligatory halophyte is the most salt-tolerant plant species in the world
Distribution of ions in soil and plant samples of S. europaea Fall 2015 and spring 2016 clearly differed in terms of the selected meteorological parameters but were typical for the respective seasons in this area (Additional file 1 Table A)
Comparisons of the soil parameters showed significant differences in Electrical conductivity (ECe) and ion content which distinctly varied among the seasons at the sites (S1 and site 2 (S2)) (Table 2)
Summary
Salicornia europaea, a succulent obligatory halophyte is the most salt-tolerant plant species in the world. It survives salt concentrations of more than 1 M. Furtado et al BMC Plant Biology (2019) 19:427 bacterial communities [2], which suggest concomitant changes in gene expression patterns. This approach might reveal different salinity tolerance mechanisms operating at particular developmental stages (seedling and young plants vs senescing ones). Halophytic plants are common in coastal ecosystems around the world and represent diverse adaptations to hypersaline environments It is a small group of plants well adapted to high salinity with species belonging mostly to Amaranthaceae, and a few to Plumbaginaceae, Plantaginaceae, Aizoaceae, Poaceae, and Brassicaceae [5]. The eHALOPH database (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/affiliates/halophytes/) currently identifies more than 1500 plant species reported from different parts of the world
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