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Potassium transporter HcKUP12 from Halostachys caspica improved transgenic Arabidopsis salt tolerance through maintaining potassium homeostasis

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This study demonstrated that HcKUP12 plays a major role in K+ acquisition faced with externally low K+ and high Na+ and that HcKUP12 could be regarded as a candidate gene for a high-affinity K+ uptake system.

Abstract

Potassium (K+) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth, development and resistance to osmotic stress. KT/HAK/KUP is the largest potassium transporter family, the members of which play crucial roles in K+ homeostasis and cell growth in various plant species. Desert halophytes need many strategies to survive in harsh environments, among which efficient absorption of K+ is an important mechanism. Here, we identified and studied HcKUP12 of the KT/HAK/KUP family from Halostachys caspica which is an important perennial halophyte of woody plants. Expression analysis showed that HcKUP12 has higher expression in assimilation branches (functioning as leaves due to leaf degeneration) than roots, and HcKUP12 was induced by salt, abscisic acid (ABA) and methyl viologen (MV) stress. Subcellular localization analysis indicated that HcKUP12 was targeted to the plasma membrane (PM). HcKUP12 gene function was evaluated using K+ uptake deficient yeast R5421 and Arabidopsis thaliana was evaluated. Transformation with HcKUP12 rescued the growth defect of mutant yeast strain R5421 at the low K+ concentration range between 0 and 50 mM. Overexpression of HcKUP12 in A. thaliana showed increased lateral roots at 100 µM (− K+) supply condition and root length at 125 mM NaCl stress, respectively. Additionally, shoot growth, potassium content and K+/Na+ concentration ratio in the seedlings of OE lines were all enhanced resulting in tolerance to low potassium and salt stress. Taken together, these results demonstrate that HcKUP12 plays a major role in K+ acquisition when faced with externally low K+ and high Na+ in HcKUP12 OE plants.

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Data archiving statement

Halostachys caspica KUP12 protein sequence was submitted to GenBank (GenBank accession: AII25440.1) in The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Halostachys caspica KUP12 cDNA sequence (GenBank accession: KF699858.1) was cloned and sequenced from the Halostachys caspica cultivar.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant No. 31860061], Opening of Key Laboratory of Autonomous Region [Grant No. 2017D04026], The National Young Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant No. 31400729].

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  1. Sheng Zhang and Hua Zhang have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. **njiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, **njiang University, Ürümqi , 830046, China

    Sheng Zhang, Hua Zhang, **long You, Zhongmin Yang & Yan Wang

  2. College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China

    Sheng Zhang

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  1. Sheng Zhang
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  2. Hua Zhang
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  3. **long You
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Correspondence to Yan Wang.

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Zhang, S., Zhang, H., You, X. et al. Potassium transporter HcKUP12 from Halostachys caspica improved transgenic Arabidopsis salt tolerance through maintaining potassium homeostasis. Trees 36, 737–747 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-021-02246-0

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