Structural basis for the activity regulation of Salt Overly Sensitive 1 in Arabidopsis salt tolerance

The plasma membrane Na⁺/H⁺ exchanger Salt Overly Sensitive 1 (SOS1) is crucial for plant salt tolerance. Unlike typical sodium/proton exchangers, SOS1 contains a large cytoplasmic domain (CPD) that regulates Na⁺/H⁺ exchange activity. However, the underlying modulation mechanism remains unclear. Here we report the structures of SOS1 from Arabidopsis thaliana in two conformations, primarily differing in CPD flexibility. The CPD comprises an interfacial domain, a cyclic nucleotide-binding domain-like domain (CNBD-like domain) and an autoinhibition domain. Through yeast cell-based Na⁺ tolerance test, we reveal the regulatory role of the interfacial domain and the activation role of the CNBD-like domain. The CPD forms a negatively charged cavity that is connected to the ion binding site. The transport of Na⁺ may be coupled with the conformational change of CPD. These findings provide structural and functional insight into SOS1 activity regulation.