TOLERANT TO SALT 1) gene in the Oryza sativa L. sp. japonica cv. Kitaake) rice
cultivar Kitaake using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system and observed that
OsOTS1 gene plays a crucial role in imparting salt stress tolerance in rice.
9.5
Conclusion and Future Outlook
The salinity stress poses a major threat to plants and influences their physiology,
metabolism, viability, yield, etc. The extent of damage caused by salinity depends on
various factors like severity and duration of stress, genotype of the affected plant,
plant’s growth stage exposed to stress, etc. The strategies employed to alleviate salt
stress include the exogenous application of phytohormones and genetic manipulation using targeted genes. The phytohormones, salicylic acid and jasmonic acid have
shown their potential role for protecting plants from saline conditions, probably by
modifying physiological and biochemical processes (by promoting the accumulation
of antioxidant molecules and osmolytes, etc.) in plants. The effects of SA and JA are
dependent not only on the concentration applied but also on the method of application. The utility of transgenic technology and genome editing can be further
enhanced through the discovery and exploitation of stress-inducible promoters,
genes of biosynthetic pathways of these phytohormones, etc. which could enhance
salt tolerance. Still, several questions regarding these phytohormones remain unanswered. It is unclear if exogenous SA and JA application directly or indirectly
increase endogenous SA and JA levels under stress. Further clarification of these
questions could lead to a better understanding of the exact role of SA and JA in
salinity stress adaptation to plants. The applications of these phytohormones and
their metabolic engineering hold great promise as a management tool for enhancing
productivity and protecting our agricultural crops against the aforesaid constraints
ultimately aiding to increase potential crop yield in near future.
Acknowledgements Dr. Deepak Kumar is thankful to the University Grant Commission for
providing financial support to the laboratory as Startup research grant (No. F.30-352/2017)
(BSR), New Delhi, Government of India.
References
Ahanger MA, Aziz U, Alsahli AA, Alyemeni MN, Ahmad P (2019) Influence of exogenous
salicylic acid and nitric oxide on growth, photosynthesis, and ascorbate-glutathione cycle in
salt stressed Vigna angularis. Biomol Ther 10(1):42. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10010042
Ahmad P, Ahanger MA, Alyemeni MN, Wijaya L, Alam P, Ashraf M (2018) Mitigation of sodium
chloride toxicity in Solanum lycopersicum L. by supplementation of jasmonic acid and nitric
oxide. J Plant Interact 13:64–72
Almayahi AMW (2016) Influence of salicylic acid (SA) and ascorbic acid (ASA) on in vitro
propagation and salt tolerance of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cv. ‘Nersy’. Aust J Crop
Sci 10:969–976. https://doi.org/10.21475/ajcs.2016.10.07.p7640
Bo WA, Zhaohui ZH, Huanhuan ZH, Xia WA, Bingli LI, Lijia YA, Xiangyan HA, Deshui Y,
Xuelia Z, Chunguo W, Wenqin S, Chengbin C, Yon Z (2019) Targeted mutagenesis of NAC
292
A. Mahajan et al.
cultivar Kitaake using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system and observed that
OsOTS1 gene plays a crucial role in imparting salt stress tolerance in rice.
9.5
Conclusion and Future Outlook
The salinity stress poses a major threat to plants and influences their physiology,
metabolism, viability, yield, etc. The extent of damage caused by salinity depends on
various factors like severity and duration of stress, genotype of the affected plant,
plant’s growth stage exposed to stress, etc. The strategies employed to alleviate salt
stress include the exogenous application of phytohormones and genetic manipulation using targeted genes. The phytohormones, salicylic acid and jasmonic acid have
shown their potential role for protecting plants from saline conditions, probably by
modifying physiological and biochemical processes (by promoting the accumulation
of antioxidant molecules and osmolytes, etc.) in plants. The effects of SA and JA are
dependent not only on the concentration applied but also on the method of application. The utility of transgenic technology and genome editing can be further
enhanced through the discovery and exploitation of stress-inducible promoters,
genes of biosynthetic pathways of these phytohormones, etc. which could enhance
salt tolerance. Still, several questions regarding these phytohormones remain unanswered. It is unclear if exogenous SA and JA application directly or indirectly
increase endogenous SA and JA levels under stress. Further clarification of these
questions could lead to a better understanding of the exact role of SA and JA in
salinity stress adaptation to plants. The applications of these phytohormones and
their metabolic engineering hold great promise as a management tool for enhancing
productivity and protecting our agricultural crops against the aforesaid constraints
ultimately aiding to increase potential crop yield in near future.
Acknowledgements Dr. Deepak Kumar is thankful to the University Grant Commission for
providing financial support to the laboratory as Startup research grant (No. F.30-352/2017)
(BSR), New Delhi, Government of India.
References
Ahanger MA, Aziz U, Alsahli AA, Alyemeni MN, Ahmad P (2019) Influence of exogenous
salicylic acid and nitric oxide on growth, photosynthesis, and ascorbate-glutathione cycle in
salt stressed Vigna angularis. Biomol Ther 10(1):42. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10010042
Ahmad P, Ahanger MA, Alyemeni MN, Wijaya L, Alam P, Ashraf M (2018) Mitigation of sodium
chloride toxicity in Solanum lycopersicum L. by supplementation of jasmonic acid and nitric
oxide. J Plant Interact 13:64–72
Almayahi AMW (2016) Influence of salicylic acid (SA) and ascorbic acid (ASA) on in vitro
propagation and salt tolerance of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cv. ‘Nersy’. Aust J Crop
Sci 10:969–976. https://doi.org/10.21475/ajcs.2016.10.07.p7640
Bo WA, Zhaohui ZH, Huanhuan ZH, Xia WA, Bingli LI, Lijia YA, Xiangyan HA, Deshui Y,
Xuelia Z, Chunguo W, Wenqin S, Chengbin C, Yon Z (2019) Targeted mutagenesis of NAC
292
A. Mahajan et al.