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Comparative Tiller-Bud Transcriptomics Analyses Reveal OsNAC4-Associated Regulation of Salt Tolerance and Tillering
Wei Sun1, Xinyao Xia2, Chuyao Wang2,3
1Shandong Key Laboratory of Genome Modification Technology and Germplasm Innovation, Institute of Wetland Agriculture and Ecology, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, China.
Plant, Cell & Environment
|July 20, 2026
Summary
Salt stress hinders rice growth by inhibiting tillering. Researchers identified OsNAC4 as a key gene negatively impacting salt tolerance and tiller development, offering targets for breeding hardier rice varieties.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Genetics
- Agricultural Science
Background:
- Salt stress significantly inhibits rice tillering, impacting plant architecture and yield potential.
- Understanding the molecular mechanisms linking salt tolerance and tiller development is crucial for improving rice cultivation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the molecular connections between salt tolerance and tiller development in rice.
- To identify key genes and pathways involved in salt adaptation and tiller bud regulation.
Main Methods:
- Comparative physiological analysis and time-resolved transcriptomic profiling of salt-tolerant (Nipponbare) and salt-susceptible (Kongyu 131) rice cultivars under salt stress.
- Functional enrichment, co-expression network analysis, and genetic analysis of candidate genes.
- RNA sequencing of tiller buds to assess cultivar-specific transcriptional dynamics.
Main Results:
- Salt stress induces cultivar-specific transcriptional dynamics in tiller buds, with rapid acclimation and stabilization correlating with salt tolerance.
- Key processes like redox regulation, phenylpropanoid metabolism, and phytohormone signaling are critical for salt adaptation and tiller development.
- The NAC transcription factor OsNAC4 was identified as a negative regulator of salt tolerance and tillering, with its loss-of-function mutants showing enhanced tolerance and increased tiller numbers. OsNAC4 acts as a transcriptional activator, with OsNCED5 as a downstream target involved in ABA accumulation.
Conclusions:
- This study establishes a molecular link between salt adaptation and rice tiller development, highlighting OsNAC4 as a central regulatory hub.
- OsNAC4 plays a crucial role in mediating the negative effects of salt stress on tillering and overall plant salt tolerance.
- The findings identify potential genetic targets, including OsNAC4 and its downstream pathways, for breeding salt-tolerant rice with improved plant architecture and yield.
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