Genome-wide comprehensive analysis of transcriptomes and small RNAs offers insights into the molecular mechanism of alkaline stress tolerance in a citrus rootstock

Abstract

Molecular biology: Rooting out alkaline resistance mechanisms in citrus trees The ability of citrus trees to tolerate alkaline soils may hinge upon plant hormones called auxins which regulate root growth. The discovery could aid the development of more resilient rootstocks. Alkaline stress, caused by e.g. industrial run-off, is a growing problem worldwide because it reduces the growth and survival of crops – including the most widely used citrus rootstock in China, Poncirus trifoliata. To better understand the mechanisms underpinning tolerance to soil alkalinity, Hualin Yi at Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, China, and colleagues used next-generation sequencing to profile the transcription products of P. trifolata seedlings and those of an alkaline-tolerant rootstock, Ziyang xiangcheng, when they were grown in three different nutrient solutions. Auxin homeostasis appears to be a key element of citrus adaption to alkaline stress, they found - probably by encouraging lateral root branching.