A Critical Role of Sodium Flux via the Plasma Membrane Na+/H+ Exchanger SOS1 in the Salt Tolerance of Rice

Rice (Oryza sativa) stands among the world's most important crop species. Rice is salt-sensitive and the undue accumulation of sodium ions (Na+) in shoots has the strongest negative correlation with rice productivity under long-term salinity. The plasma membrane Na+/H+ exchanger protein SOS1 is the sole Na+ efflux transporter that has been genetically characterized to date. Here, the importance of SOS1-facilitated Na+ flux in the salt tolerance of rice was analyzed in a reverse-genetics approach. A sos1 loss-of-function mutant displayed exceptional salt sensitivity that was correlated with excessive Na+ intake and impaired Na+ loading into the xylem, thus indicating that SOS1 controls net root Na+ uptake and long-distance Na+ transport to shoots. The acute Na+ sensitivity of sos1 plants at low NaCl concentrations allowed analysis of the transcriptional response to sodicity stress without effects of the osmotic stress intrinsic to high-salinity treatments. In contrast to that in the wild type, sos1 mutant roots displayed preferential down-regulation of stress-related genes in response to salt treatment, despite the greater intensity of stress experienced by the mutant. These results suggest there is impaired stress detection or an inability to mount a comprehensive response to salinity in sos1. In summary, the plasma membrane Na+/H+ exchanger SOS1 plays a major role in the salt tolerance of rice by controlling Na+ homeostasis and possibly contributing to the sensing of sodicity stress.