Projects per year
Abstract
During plant growth, sodium (Na+) in the soil is transported via the xylem from the root to the shoot. While excess Na+ is toxic to most plants, non-toxic concentrations have been shown to improve crop yields under certain conditions, such as when soil K+ is low. We quantified grain Na+ across a barley genome-wide association study panel grown under non-saline conditions and identified variants of a Class 1 HIGH-AFFINITY-POTASSIUM-TRANSPORTER (HvHKT1;5)-encoding gene responsible for Na+ content variation under these conditions. A leucine to proline substitution at position 189 (L189P) in HvHKT1;5 disturbs its characteristic plasma membrane localisation and disrupts Na+ transport. Under low and moderate soil Na+, genotypes containing HvHKT1:5P189 accumulate high concentrations of Na+ but exhibit no evidence of toxicity. As the frequency of HvHKT1:5P189 increases significantly in cultivated European germplasm, we cautiously speculate that this non-functional variant may enhance yield potential in non-saline environments, possibly by offsetting limitations of low available K+.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 258 |
Pages (from-to) | 1-9 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Communications Biology |
Volume | 3 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 22 May 2020 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2020 |
Keywords
- Abiotic
- Agricultural genetics
- Plant genetics
- Salt
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
- General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
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Dive into the research topics of 'Barley sodium content is regulated by natural variants of the Na+ transporter HvHKT1;5'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 5 Finished
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IBH Rutherford Strategic Partners
Halpin, C. (Investigator) & Waugh, R. (Investigator)
1/03/18 → 28/02/19
Project: Research
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Australia-UK Interdisciplinary Partnership to Speed Cereal Breeding (Joint with University of York)
Halpin, C. (Investigator)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
1/05/17 → 30/04/21
Project: Research
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MaxBio - Maximising Conversion Yields in Biorefining (Joint with Universities of York and Nottingham)
Halpin, C. (Investigator) & Waugh, R. (Investigator)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
1/09/16 → 31/08/22
Project: Research