In:
Communications Biology, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 3, No. 1 ( 2020-05-22)
Abstract:
During plant growth, sodium (Na + ) in the soil is transported via the xylem from the root to the shoot. While excess Na + is toxic to most plants, non-toxic concentrations have been shown to improve crop yields under certain conditions, such as when soil K + is low. We quantified grain Na + across a barley genome-wide association study panel grown under non-saline conditions and identified variants of a Class 1 HIGH-AFFINITY-POTASSIUM-TRANSPORTER ( HvHKT1;5 )-encoding gene responsible for Na + content variation under these conditions. A leucine to proline substitution at position 189 (L189P) in HvHKT1;5 disturbs its characteristic plasma membrane localisation and disrupts Na + transport. Under low and moderate soil Na + , genotypes containing HvHKT1:5 P189 accumulate high concentrations of Na + but exhibit no evidence of toxicity. As the frequency of HvHKT1:5 P189 increases significantly in cultivated European germplasm, we cautiously speculate that this non-functional variant may enhance yield potential in non-saline environments, possibly by offsetting limitations of low available K + .
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2399-3642
DOI:
10.1038/s42003-020-0990-5
Language:
English
Publisher:
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publication Date:
2020
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2919698-X