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Salt and oxidative stresses uniquely regulate tomato cytokinin levels and transcriptomic response
Erika A Keshishian1, H Tucker Hallmark1, Thiruvarangan Ramaraj2
1Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn Alabama.
Plant Direct
|June 28, 2019
Summary
Plant hormones called cytokinins are crucial for growth and stress responses. This study shows salt stress increases cytokinins while oxidative stress decreases them in tomato plants, impacting gene expression and physiology.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Cytokinins are key plant hormones regulating growth and development.
- Emerging evidence links cytokinins to plant stress responses, but mechanisms remain unclear.
- Understanding cytokinin dynamics under stress is vital for crop resilience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the parallel effects of salt and oxidative stress on cytokinin levels and gene expression in *Solanum lycopersicum* (tomato).
- To elucidate the relationship between cytokinin changes and whole-plant transcriptome responses under stress conditions.
Main Methods:
- Seedlings were exposed to short-term salt (150 mM NaCl) or oxidative (20 mM H2O2) stress.
- Cytokinin levels (22 types) were quantified using LC-MS/MS.
- Whole-plant transcriptome analysis was performed using RNA-sequencing.
Main Results:
- Salt stress elevated both active and inactive cytokinin levels, whereas oxidative stress decreased them.
- RNA-sequencing identified 6,643 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with unique sets for each stress.
- Cytokinin-related genes were among the DEGs, and cytokinin levels influenced photosystem II efficiency.
Conclusions:
- Cytokinin levels exhibit distinct responses to salt versus oxidative stress in tomato.
- Stress-induced changes in cytokinins are associated with significant alterations in gene expression.
- Cytokinins play a physiological role in mediating plant responses to stress.
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