FERONIA Modulates Translational Buffering Capacity of Ribosome-Associated Gene Module in Salt-Stressed Tomato Roots

Area of Science:

• Plant Biology
• Molecular Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Salt stress significantly impacts tomato crop yield and productivity.
• Understanding the molecular mechanisms of root adaptation to salinity is crucial for agricultural sustainability.
• The role of translational regulation in plant salt tolerance is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the contribution of translational regulation to tomato root adaptation under salt stress.
• To elucidate the function of the FERONIA (FER) gene in salt tolerance at the translational level.
• To identify regulatory elements and sequence features governing translation under stress.

Main Methods:

• Integrated RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and ribosome profiling in wild-type and FERONIA mutant tomato roots.
• Analysis of gene expression and translational efficiency under control and high salt (150 mM NaCl) conditions.
• Feature modeling to predict upstream open reading frame (uORF) translation based on sequence and RNA structure.

Main Results:

• Wild-type tomato roots exhibit transcript-driven salt responses with selective translational buffering in a 29-gene module.
• FERONIA loss-of-function disrupts translational balance, affecting stress-related gene expression and translational efficiency.
• Salt stress shifts ribosome allocation from 5' UTR to coding sequences in wild-type, an effect reduced in the FERONIA mutant.
• Sequence and structural features, like RNA folding near start codons, predict uORF translation.

Conclusions:

• FERONIA plays a critical role in regulating translational efficiency and buffering during tomato root salt stress response.
• Translational control mechanisms, particularly involving uORFs, are vital for adapting to saline environments.
• This study provides insights into the complex interplay between transcription, translation, and salt tolerance in plants.