The effect of salinity stress on Na+, K+ concentration, Na+/K+ ratio, electrolyteleakage and HKT expression profile in roots of Aeluropus littoralis

Among abiotic stresses, salinity has been increasing over the time for many reasons like using chemicalfertilizers, global warming and rising sea levels. Under salinity stress, the loss of water availability, toxicity of Na+ andion imbalance directly reduces carbon fixation and biomass production in plants. K+ is a major agent that can counteractNa+ stresses, thus the potential of plants to tolerate salinity is strongly dependent on their potassium nutrition. HKTs(High-affinity K+ Transporters) are a family of transporters that mediate Na+-specific or Na+-K+ transport and play a keyrole in the regulation of ion homeostasis. In this study, we intended to focus on Electrolyte Leakage, ratio of K+/Na+,transcriptomic responses of a subclass two HKT in the roots of Aeluropus littoralis under salt stress. We investigated anoticeably different expression pattern over studied time points and found a snappy increase of AlHKT and rebalance ofK+ concentration. It can be suggested that the early and high response of a Na+-K+ coupled transporter acted as a part ofA. littoralis salt tolerance

Keywords:

Aeluropus littoralis , Flame photometry , Membranous HKT , Potassium , Sodium , Real-time PCR