A SnRK2-HAK regulatory module confers natural variation of salt tolerance in maize
Abstract The exclusion of sodium ions (Na+) from the shoot tissue, termed shoot Na+ exclusion, underlies a core mechanism of crop salt tolerance. Recent studies have shown that the HAK (High-Affinity K+ Transporter) family Na+ transporters play a key role in shoot Na+ exclusion of various crops, how...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59332-x |
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| author | Ming Zhang Xueyan Zhou Limin Wang Xiaoyan Liang Xin Liu Caifu Jiang |
| author_facet | Ming Zhang Xueyan Zhou Limin Wang Xiaoyan Liang Xin Liu Caifu Jiang |
| author_sort | Ming Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The exclusion of sodium ions (Na+) from the shoot tissue, termed shoot Na+ exclusion, underlies a core mechanism of crop salt tolerance. Recent studies have shown that the HAK (High-Affinity K+ Transporter) family Na+ transporters play a key role in shoot Na+ exclusion of various crops, however, it is unknown whether and how this type of transporter is post-transcriptionally regulated. Here, we show that two closely related SnRK2 kinases, designated as ZmSnRK2.9 and ZmSnRK2.10, promote shoot Na+ exclusion and salt tolerance by activating the Na+ transporter ZmHAK4 in maize. Under salt conditions, the kinase activity of ZmSnRK2.9 and ZmSnRK2.10 is activated, then they interact with and phosphorylate ZmHAK4 at Ser5, increasing the Na+ transport activity of ZmHAK4, which in turn promotes salt tolerance by improving the exclusion of Na+ from the shoot tissue. Furthermore, we show that a 20-bp deletion that occurred naturally in the ZmSnRK2.10 promoter decreases its transcript level, resulting in an increased shoot Na+ content under salt conditions. Our findings support a breeding program that can utilize the favorable alleles of ZmHAK4 and ZmSnRK2.10 to enhance both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional activation of ZmHAK4, thus advancing the development of salt-tolerant maize. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8b7e1a1eb2804465a8fc4812d26ec4d4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-8b7e1a1eb2804465a8fc4812d26ec4d42025-08-20T03:52:20ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-04-0116111310.1038/s41467-025-59332-xA SnRK2-HAK regulatory module confers natural variation of salt tolerance in maizeMing Zhang0Xueyan Zhou1Limin Wang2Xiaoyan Liang3Xin Liu4Caifu Jiang5State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural UniversityState Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural UniversityState Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural UniversityState Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural UniversityKey Lab of Plant Biotechnology in University of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Qingdao Agricultural UniversityState Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural UniversityAbstract The exclusion of sodium ions (Na+) from the shoot tissue, termed shoot Na+ exclusion, underlies a core mechanism of crop salt tolerance. Recent studies have shown that the HAK (High-Affinity K+ Transporter) family Na+ transporters play a key role in shoot Na+ exclusion of various crops, however, it is unknown whether and how this type of transporter is post-transcriptionally regulated. Here, we show that two closely related SnRK2 kinases, designated as ZmSnRK2.9 and ZmSnRK2.10, promote shoot Na+ exclusion and salt tolerance by activating the Na+ transporter ZmHAK4 in maize. Under salt conditions, the kinase activity of ZmSnRK2.9 and ZmSnRK2.10 is activated, then they interact with and phosphorylate ZmHAK4 at Ser5, increasing the Na+ transport activity of ZmHAK4, which in turn promotes salt tolerance by improving the exclusion of Na+ from the shoot tissue. Furthermore, we show that a 20-bp deletion that occurred naturally in the ZmSnRK2.10 promoter decreases its transcript level, resulting in an increased shoot Na+ content under salt conditions. Our findings support a breeding program that can utilize the favorable alleles of ZmHAK4 and ZmSnRK2.10 to enhance both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional activation of ZmHAK4, thus advancing the development of salt-tolerant maize.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59332-x |
| spellingShingle | Ming Zhang Xueyan Zhou Limin Wang Xiaoyan Liang Xin Liu Caifu Jiang A SnRK2-HAK regulatory module confers natural variation of salt tolerance in maize Nature Communications |
| title | A SnRK2-HAK regulatory module confers natural variation of salt tolerance in maize |
| title_full | A SnRK2-HAK regulatory module confers natural variation of salt tolerance in maize |
| title_fullStr | A SnRK2-HAK regulatory module confers natural variation of salt tolerance in maize |
| title_full_unstemmed | A SnRK2-HAK regulatory module confers natural variation of salt tolerance in maize |
| title_short | A SnRK2-HAK regulatory module confers natural variation of salt tolerance in maize |
| title_sort | snrk2 hak regulatory module confers natural variation of salt tolerance in maize |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59332-x |
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