Genetics of Salt Tolerance in Plants: A Central Dogma Perspective and Strategies for Enhancement

Gene expression in cells follows a prescribed pathway that conforms to the Central Dogma; where the genetic information stored in DNA is transcribed into RNA and then expressed into proteins, which influences most plant traits. Plant salt tolerance research is directed towards identifying nucleotide variants that could contribute to tolerant phenotypes. This book comprehensively presents the current state of knowledge on plant salt tolerance through meticulous analysis of the processes operating across the Central Dogma. It provides a detailed account of modulation of gene expression through genome editing systems to achieve crop improvement against salt stress. It also provides state-of-the-art information on advances in breeding technologies of genome selection and accelerated de novo domestication for rapidly improving the salt tolerance of plants for global food security. This book: 1. Provides comprehensive coverage of plant salt tolerance mechanisms. 2. Spotlights various factors functioning along the Central Dogma pathway and their regulation in response to salinity. 3. Examines how these factors function to protect the plants from high salinity. 4. Highlights advances in cutting-edge breeding technologies for improving salt tolerance. The book will be of particular value to students and researchers of plant genetics, molecular biology and physiology and those with an interest in salinity and salt tolerance. Cover Genetics of Salt Tolerance in Plants Copyright Contents Contributors 1 Involvement of Genetic Mutations in Plant Salt Tolerance Abstract 1.1 Introduction 1.2 DNA Mutations and Their Role in Salt Tolerance 1.3 Role of Mutation Breeding 1.3.1 TILLING 1.4 Precise Genetic Modifications for Salinity Tolerance in Plants 1.4.1 CRISPR-mediated genome editing 1.5 Conclusion References 2 Regulation of Nucleotide Metabolism in Response to Salt Stress Abstract 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Nucleotide Structure 2.2.1 De novo synthesis of purines 2.2.2 Salvage of purines 2.2.3 De novo synthesis of pyrimidines 2.2.4 Salvage of pyrimidines 2.2.5 Subcellular localization 2.3 Purines 2.4 Pyrimidines 2.5 Nucleotide Regulation 2.6 Role in Salt Stress 2.6.1 Purines 2.6.2 Pyrimidines 2.7 Conclusions References 3 Role of DNA Replication Proteins in Salinity Tolerance of Plants Abstract 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Salinity Response and Tolerance Mechanisms in Plants 3.3 Replication Fork and Replisome Assembly – An Overview 3.4 The MCM Complex Helicase – Role in DNA Replication 3.5 The Helicase Unwinding Machinery that Initiates Replication 3.5.1 Classification of helicase families 3.5.2 Role of helicases in salinity 3.6 DNA Polymerases 3.6.1 Plant replicative DNA polymerases 3.6.2 Role of DNA polymerases in salinity tolerance 3.7 Topoisomerases 3.7.1 The role of topoisomerase in salinity tolerance 3.8 Summary and Concluding Remarks References 4 Chromatin Architecture: Role of Epigenetic Modifications and Nucleosome Occupancy in Modulating Plant Responses to Salt Stress Abstract 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Epigenetic Modifications in Modulating Plant Responses to Salt Stress 4.2.1 DNA methylation 4.2.2 Histone modifications 4.2.3 Influence of ncRNAs in modulating salt tolerance of plants 4.3 Nucleosome Occupancy in Modulating Plant Responses to Salt Stress 4.4 Future Perspectives Acknowledgements References 5 Functional Role of RNA-Binding Proteins in Plant Salt Tolerance Abstract 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Regulatory Roles of RNA-Binding Proteins in Plant Adaptation 5.2.1 RNA splicing 5.2.2 RNA folding 5.2.3 RNA editing 5.2.4 RNA modification, transport and localization 5.2.5 RNA stability and decay 5.2.6 RNA translation 5.3 Salt Tolerance and RNA-Binding Protein Studies in Plants 5.3.1 Arabidopsis thaliana 5.3.2 Oryza sativa 5.3.3 Triticum aestivum L. 5.3.4 Other plants 5.4 Advances in Methods of Detecting RNA-Binding Proteins in Plants 5.5 Future Outlook and Conclusion References 6 Sequestration of mRNAs: Role of Stress Granules and Processing Bodies in Plant Salt Tolerance Abstract 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Brief Overview of Heat-Shock Stress Granules in Plants 6.3 Chloroplast Stress Granules and Abiotic Stress 6.4 Processing Bodies and Their Role in Abiotic Stress 6.5 Salt Hypersensitivity of Stress Granule Component Mutants 6.5.1 Heat-shock proteins 6.5.2 RNA helicases 6.5.3 DUF proteins 6.5.4 Tandem CCCH zinc finger (TZF) proteins 6.5.5 Core components of stress granules are required for salt-stress responses 6.6 Conclusion References 7 Updates on Protein Post-Translational Modifications for Modulating Response to Salinity Abstract 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Post-Translational Modifications: An Overview of Common Classes 7.2.1 Phosphorylation 7.2.2 N-terminal acetylation 7.2.3 Ubiquitination 7.2.4 SUMOylation 7.2.5 Lipidation 7.2.6 S-acylation 7.2.7 N-myristoylation 7.2.8 N-glycosylation 7.3 General Overview: Mechanism and Role of Phosphorylation in Regulating Salinity-Stress Responses 7.3.1 Protein phosphorylation orchestrating ion homeostasis under salt stress 7.3.2 Crosstalk between reactive oxygen species and protein kinases: unravelling signalling pathways under salt stress 7.4 Nα-Acetylation Effect on Growth Retardation and Salt Tolerance 7.5 Role of Ubiquitination: Influence on Salinity Tolerance in Plants 7.6 SUMOylation: A Complex Post-Translational Modification Impacting Salinity Stress through its Effect on Membrane Transporters and Redox State of Plant Cells 7.7 Exploring Lipidation: A Novel Frontier and its Implications on Salinity Stress 7.8 Glycosylation: Exploring its Role as a Key Player in the Intricate Response to Salinity Stress 7.9 Navigating the Database Landscape for Post-Translational Modifications 7.10 Conclusion References 8 Integration of Genomics-Assisted and Speed Breeding for Enhancement of Plant Salt Tolerance Abstract 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Effect of Salt Stress on Plant Growth 8.3 Genomics-Assisted Breeding for Development of Salt-Tolerant Crop Cultivars 8.4 Genomic Selection for Breeding Salt Tolerance 8.5 Genomics-Assisted Breeding for Salt Tolerance in the Era of Genotyping based on High-Throughput Next-Generation Sequencing 8.6 Speed Breeding Applications in Salt-Stress Mitigation 8.7 Integrated Approach of Speed Breeding and Genomics-Assisted Breeding for Development of Salt-Tolerant Cultivars 8.8 Conclusion References 9 Advances in Plant Phenotyping for Enhanced Salt Tolerance Abstract 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Importance of Phenotyping in Genetic Studies of Salt Tolerance 9.3 Advances in Precision Phenotyping of Salt Tolerance 9.4 Integrating High-Throughput Phenotyping with Genetic Studies for Enhanced Salt Tolerance in Crops 9.5 Conclusion References 10 De Novo Domestication of Wild and Halophilic Plants for Designing Salt-Tolerant Crops: Acceleration through CRISPR Abstract 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Plants and Salinity 10.3 Ion Transporters in Sodium Homeostasis 10.4 Crop Domestication and Loss of Halophytism 10.5 Crop Wild Relatives as Sources of Traits for Salinity Tolerance 10.6 Pangenomes, Focused Identification of Germplasm Strategy, and Speed Breeding for Mainstreaming Crop Wild Relatives 10.7 Advances in CRISPR/Cas-Based Genome Editing Technology for Crop Species 10.8 Delivering Where it Matters: Advances in Plant Transformation and CRISPR Construct Delivery In Planta 10.9 CRISPR and De Novo Domestication of Polyploids: Present Status 10.10 A Possible Way Forward: Combining Technologies to Achieve De Novo Domestication of Saline-Tolerant Crop Wild Relatives References Index Cabi Back Cover