Structural insights into the Oryza sativa cation transporters HKTs in salt tolerance

The high-affinity potassium transporters (HKTs), selectively permeable to either Na⁺ alone or Na⁺/K⁺, play pivotal roles in maintaining plant Na⁺/K⁺ homeostasis. Although their involvement in salt tolerance is widely reported, the molecular underpinnings of Oryza sativa HKTs remain elusive. In this study, we elucidate the structures of OsHKT1;1 and OsHKT2;1, representing two distinct classes of rice HKTs. The dimeric assembled OsHKTs can be structurally divided into four domains. At the dimer interface, a half-helix or a loop in the third domain is coordinated by the C-terminal region of the opposite subunit. Additionally, we present the structures of OsHKT1;5 salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive variants, a key quantitative trait locus associated with salt tolerance. The salt-tolerant variant of OsHKT1;5 exhibits enhanced Na⁺ transport capability and displays a more flexible conformation. These findings shed light on the molecular basis of rice HKTs and provide insights into their role in salt tolerance.