Ion transporters regulating plant adaptive responses to salinity and the modes of their control by compatible solutes in plant cells

植物对盐水条件的反应是细胞质中相容溶质水平的显著升高。这些溶质似乎不直接参与传统的渗透保护，而是在细胞代谢中起调节作用。该项目将应用一系列最先进的生物物理和分子技术来研究相容溶质对主要质膜转运体活性的控制模式，这些转运体参与了植物对盐度的适应性反应。这项工作将大大提高我们对耐盐性的认识，并将为耐盐作物的基因工程提供良好的基础。

Plants respond to saline conditions by a significant elevation in the level of compatible solutes in the cytosol. It appears that these solutes are not directly involved in conventional osmoprotection, but instead have a regulatory role in cell metabolism. This project will apply a range of state-of-the-art biophysical and molecular techniques to investigate the modes of control exercised by compatible solutes over the activity of major plasma membrane transporters involved in plant adaptive responses to salinity. The work will substantially advance our understanding of salt tolerance and will provide a sound basis for genetic engineering of salt tolerant crops.