Transcriptomic plasticity through alternative splicing shapes salt stress responses in Korean sorghum

Area of Science:

• Plant Biology
• Molecular Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Sorghum is a climate-resilient crop vital for arid regions.
• Soil salinity poses a significant threat to crop productivity.
• Alternative splicing (AS) is a key plant stress response mechanism.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the role of intron retention (IR) in sorghum's salt tolerance.
• Analyze transcriptome changes in sorghum under salt stress.
• Identify specific genes regulated by AS during salinity stress.

Main Methods:

• Transcriptome analysis of three sorghum cultivars under salt stress.
• Quantification and analysis of alternative splicing events, focusing on intron retention.
• Gene expression analysis of salt stress-responsive genes.

Main Results:

• Intron retention constituted over 70% of all alternative splicing events.
• Several intron retention events were linked to salt stress-responsive genes.
• AS-mediated changes in trehalose-phosphate phosphatase 6 (TPP6) and ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter genes were observed.

Conclusions:

• Intron retention plays a crucial role in sorghum's salt stress adaptation.
• AS regulation of TPP6 and ABC transporter pathways enhances salt tolerance.
• Alternative splicing is a vital mechanism for improving crop stress resilience.