Vein-Specific Overexpression of Galactinol Synthase Gene Improves Salinity Tolerance in Poplar.

Vein-specific overexpression of galactinol synthase enhances salinity tolerance in poplar by 50% through improved ion regulation and stress response mechanisms.

• Why it matters: Salinity stress severely limits plant growth and productivity, yet little is known about how vein-localized RFOs influence salt tolerance in plants with passive symplastic phloem loading, such as poplar.
• What they did: Researchers generated transgenic poplar lines expressing galactinol synthase specifically in leaf veins, and evaluated their growth, ion retention, carbohydrate reallocation, and gene expression under normal and saline conditions.
• The result: Overexpressing poplars showed increased root vigor and significantly improved salt tolerance, with enhanced oxidative defenses and altered metabolic pathways, demonstrating a promising strategy for stress resilience and crop improvement.