Arabidopsis 2010: The power of Arabidopsis in a Halophyte - Tellungiella Halophila (Salt Cress)

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High salt in plant growth media causes ion imbalance and hyperosmotic stress. As a consequence of these primary effects, secondary stresses such as oxidative damage often occur. Plant responses to salt stress are very complex, and understanding of salt tolerance mechanisms remains a formidable challenge in agriculture as well as in basic plant biology. Halophytes are naturally salt tolerant plants that have evolved efficient salt tolerance mechanisms. The proposed research aims to dissect salt tolerance mechanisms in halophytes by using the genetically tractable halophilic plant, saltcress (Thellungiella halophila). Several orthologs of Arabidopsis genes involved in salt tolerance will be cloned from saltcress. The cloned genes will be knocked out in saltcress by using the technology of RNA interference. Saltcress mutants thus constructed can be evaluated phenotypically in salt tolerance assays. The proposed studies will help understand how halophytes tolerate salt stress.