Identification and analysis of HD-ZIP transcription factors that regulate salt gland development and salt tolerance...

Soil salinity severely constrains agricultural production. Elucidating the salt-tolerance mechanisms of halophytes can provide innovative approaches for improving the salt tolerance of crop plants. In this study, we performed genome-wide identification and analysis of 36 LbHDZ genes encoding homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-ZIP) transcription factors in Limonium bicolor, a typical recretohalophyte that excretes excess salt ions through specialized salt glands. Expression profiling across different stages of salt gland development, as well as in various tissues under salt stress, indicated that multiple LbHDZ genes are involved in regulating salt gland development and salt tolerance. Among these genes, LbHDZ14 (a member of the HD-ZIP II subfamily) exhibited sustained high expression during the critical period of salt gland formation, while its transcript levels were significantly downregulated in leaves and roots under salt stress. Subsequent experiments demonstrated that LbHDZ14 is localized in the nucleus and negatively regulates salt gland density and salt tolerance by directly binding to the promoter of LbGDSL, a positive regulator of salt gland development. In conclusion, this study reveals the expression patterns of LbHDZ genes in L. bicolor, characterizes the functional mechanism of LbHDZ14, further elucidates the regulatory network underlying salt gland development, and provides candidate genes for enhancing crop salt tolerance.