Salt stress causes severe reduction in the growth and yield of rice plants. The ability to maintain cellular ion homeostasis is of importance to help the plant survive under salt stress. Salt overly sensitive 1 (SOS1), a plasma membrane Na+/H+ antiporter, has been proven to play critical roles in Na+ exclusion out of the cell, hence contributing to salt tolerance in plants. In this study, we analyzed the natural nucleotide polymorphisms occuring within the entire coding sequence as well as the upstream region of the OsSOS1 gene by comparing the sequences of two contrasting rice genotypes, namely, Nipponbare (salt-sensitive) and Pokkali (salt-resistant). In total, six nucleotide polymorphisms were identified in the coding sequence, and 44 nucleotide substitutions, 225-bp-insertion and 65-bp-deletion were observed in the upstream region of the OsSOS1 gene. Futher in silico analysis revealed that two out of six nucleotide polymorphisms in the coding sequence were non-synonymous (A1600G, G2204A) which led to two amino acid substitutions (T534A, S735N, respectively) positioned in the C-terminal domain of OsSOS1 transporter, but caused no effect on protein properties. In the upstream region of OsSOS1 gene, 44 single nucleotide polymorphisms and two INDELs were identified, in which nucleotide substitutions at position -1392, -1389, -822, -583, +57 and an insertion at position -1035 caused change in cis-regulatory elements. Analysis of OsSOS1 expression revealed that salt induced the expression of the gene in the roots, but not in the leaves in both investigated rice cultivars.

Globally more than 5.2 billion hectares of farming fields are damaged through erosion, salinity and soil deterioration. Many salt stress tolerant bacteria have plant growth promoting (PGP) characteristics that can be used to overcome environmental stresses. Isolation and screening of salt-tolerant endophytes from Salicornia brachiata were achieved through surface sterilization of leaves followed by cultivation on 4% NaCl amended media. Performance of isolates towards indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, phosphate solubilization, ACC deaminase activity, ammonia production, siderophore production and stress tolerance were determined. On the basis of the highest plant growth promoting activity, SbCT4 and SbCT7 isolates were tested for plant growth promotion with wheat and maize crops. In the present study, a total of 12 morphologically distinct salt-tolerant endophytic bacteria was cultured. Out of 12 isolates, 42% of salt-tolerant endophytes showed phosphate solubilization, 67% IAA production, 33% ACC-deaminase activity, 92% siderophore production, 41.6% ammonia production and 66% HCN production. A dendrogram, generated on the basis of stress tolerance, showed two clusters, each including five isolates. The bacterial isolates SbCT4 and SbCT7 showed the highest stress tolerance, and stood separately as an independent branch. Bacterial isolates increased wheat shoot and root dry weights by 60–82% and 50–100%, respectively. Similarly, improved results were obtained with maize shoot (27–150%) and root (80–126%) dry weights. For the first time from this plant the bacterial isolates were identified as Paenibacillus polymyxa SbCT4 and Bacillus subtilis SbCT7 based on phenotypic features and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Paenibacillus polymyxa SbCT4 and B. subtilis SbCT7 significantly improved plant growth compared to non-inoculated trials.

Dehydroabietic acid R=COOH (DHA), a naturally occuring diterpene resin acid, is an activator of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) under biotic stress. However, there had been no report on its functioning under salinity. In the present study, we determined the effects of DHA on salinity and its possible role as a signal transmitter in soybean (Glycine max L.) leaves under salinity (200 mM NaCl). Furthermore, physiological parameters, chlorophyll, proline, malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, superoxide (O2‾) and hydroxyl radical (•OH) scavenge capacity, as well as antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POX, APX and GST) and GmWRKY-71 gene expressions were investigated in the treated plants at 6 h, 12 h and 24 h. The obtained results showed that pretreatment of DHA caused (1) a reduction in salt-induced damage, (2) improvement in biomass yield, water status, chlorophyll and leaf area, (3) regulation of the proline level and relative electrolyte leakage, (4) increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging capacity, (5) induction of SOD and APX enzyme activity at all the investigated periods, while POX only at 6 h, and thus alleviation of the oxidative damage. In addition, the changes in GmWRKY-71 gene expressions were remarkable in soybean under salinity. To sum up, these results showed that DHA can be used as a ROS inhibitor or a signal molecule in increasing salt tolerance in soybean under salinity.

Salt stress is one of the main factors disturbing the physiology of organisms, including epigeic lichens inhabiting roadsides, due to de-icing salts used in winter seasons. The aim of the research was to study the effect of acute salt stress in various doses on the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of chlorolichens, i.e., Cladonia furcata, C. mitis, Diposchistes muscorum, and cyanolichens, i.e., Peltigera didactyla, and P. rufescens, which naturally grow inland in the vicinity of roads. We also aimed to study changes in the photosynthetic efficiency of lichens over time and their responses to rainfall simulations in the days following exposure to salt stress to test whether liquid water supply improves photosynthetic efficiency. Salt stress led to a reduction of it in cyanolichens in most experimental groups, while in chlorolichens only treatment with 2.9-3.9M NaCl solutions significantly decreased F_V/F_M. Exposure to acute salt stress significantly affected fluorescence transient curves in all studied species. With respect to chlorolichens, a marked decrease of FM was observed and the flattened shape of the transient curves after treatment with the highest salt doses was the most apparent. Significantly greater disturbances were observed in cyanolichens in which the induction curve lost its sigmoid characteristics after treatment with solutions with a concentration greater than 0.35M. Furthermore, in all lichen species, increased values of ABS/RC and DI ₀/RC and decreases in PI _ABS, ET ₀/RC and TR0/RC as well as quantum yields and efficiencies were observed. Simulated rainfall resulted in a significant increase in the photosynthetic efficiency of chlorolichens to a level corresponding to healthy lichens almost throughout the duration of the whole experiment. On the contrary, in the case of cyanolichens, significant increases in F_V/F_M after water treatment were found only after exposure to low salt doses and, at the latest, 24 h after the stress. Although many cyanobacteria developed adaptations to survive in highly saline environments, cyanobionts present in inland lichen species seem to be highly susceptible to salt stress. We concluded that the time when rainfall occurs after exposure to salt stress is a crucial factor affecting the potential regeneration of PSII efficiency. Regeneration after rainfall is an important aspect for epigeic lichens occurring near roadsides, where, during the winter season, they are exposed to de-icing salt for a long time, and rainfall may partially compensate for their disturbances and increase their photosynthetic efficiency, enhancing the possibility of survival.