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Differential physiological responses to sodium and potassium chloride in Salicornia europaea, a model euhalophyte.
Functional Plant Biology · · Journal Article
Mohammadzadeh, Hajiboland + 1 more
Abstract ↗AI summary
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In Salicornia europaea grown under equimolar 100 mM KCl, plants triggered defence and lignin deposition but suffered complete mortality within 7 weeks.
- Why it matters: Natural salinity is dominated by NaCl, so plant responses to KCl remain poorly understood despite Na+ and K+ having similar chemistry and crustal abundance.
- What they did: The study compared 100 mM NaCl versus 100 mM KCl in Salicornia europaea, measuring biomass, water relations, osmolytes, signalling molecules (H2O2, NO, H2S), and expression of HKT1, NHX1, SOS1, and VHA-A.
- The result: NaCl enhanced growth and osmolyte accumulation and upregulated ion-compartmentation genes while reducing ammonium, whereas KCl disrupted ammonium assimilation, altered signalling patterns, and prevented adaptive responses.
The findingWhy it mattersWhat they didThe result