Zygophyllum is an important medicinal plant, with notable properties such as resistance to salt, alkali, and drought, as well as tolerance of poor soils and shifting sand. However, the response mechanism of Zygophyllum spp. to abiotic stess were rarely studied.Here, we aimed to explore the salt-tolerance genes of Zygophyllum plants by transcriptomic and metabolic approaches. We chose Z. brachypterum, Z. obliquum and Z. fabago to screen for salt tolerant and sensitive species. Cytological observation showed that both the stem and leaf of Z. brachypterum were significantly thicker than those of Z. fabago. Then, we treated these three species with different concentrations of NaCl, and found that Z. brachypterum exhibited the highest salt tolerance (ST), while Z. fabago was the most sensitive to salt (SS). With the increase of salt concentration, the CAT, SOD and POD activity, as well as proline and chlorophyll content in SS decreased significantly more than in ST. After salt treatment, the proportion of open stomata in ST decreased significantly more than in SS, although there was no significant difference in stomatal number between the two species. Transcriptomic analysis identified a total of 11 overlapping differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the leaves and roots of the ST and SS species after salt stress. Two branched-chain-amino-acid aminotransferase (BCAT) genes among the 11 DEGs, which were significantly enriched in pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, as well as the valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis pathways, were confirmed to be significantly induced by salt stress through qRT-PCR. Furthermore, overlapping differentially abundant metabolites showed that the pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis pathways were significantly enriched after salt stress, which was consistent with the KEGG pathways enriched according to transcriptomics.In our study, transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis revealed that BCAT genes may affect the pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis pathway to regulate the salt tolerance of Zygophyllum species, which may constitute a newly identified signaling pathway through which plants respond to salt stress.

Salinity-alkalinity stress is one of the major factors limiting rice production. Damage caused by alkaline salt stress is more severe than that caused by neutral salt stress. Alkali tolerance at the bud stage in rice directly affects seedling survival and final yield when using the direct seeding cultivation model. However, genetic resources (QTLs and genes) for rice breeders to improve alkali tolerance are limited. In this study, we combined linkage mapping and a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to analyze the genetic structure of this trait in japonica rice at the bud stage.A population of 184 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) was utilized to map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for the root length under control condition (RL), alkaline stress (ARL) and relative root length (RRL) at the bud stage. A major QTL related to alkali tolerance at the rice bud stage, qAT11, was detected on chromosome 11. Interestingly, a GWAS identified a lead SNP (Chr_21,999,659) in qAT11 that was significantly associated with alkaline tolerance. After filtering by linkage disequilibrium (LD), haplotype analysis, quantitative real-time PCR, we obtained three candidate genes (LOC_Os11g37300, LOC_Os11g37320 and LOC_Os11g37390). In addition, we performed phenotype verification on the CRISPR/Cas9 mutant of LOC_Os11g37390.Based on these results, LOC_Os11g37300, LOC_Os11g37320 and LOC_Os11g37390 were the candidate genes contributing to alkaline tolerance in japonica rice. This study provides resources for breeding aimed at improving rice responses to alkalinity stress.

Crop loss due to soil salinization is an increasing threat to agriculture worldwide. This review provides an overview of cellular and physiological mechanisms in plant responses to salt. We place cellular responses in a time- and tissue-dependent context in order to link them to observed phases in growth rate that occur in response to stress. Recent advances in phenotyping can now functionally or genetically link cellular signaling responses, ion transport, water management, and gene expression to growth, development, and survival. Halophytes, which are naturally salt-tolerant plants, are highlighted as success stories to learn from. We emphasize that () filling the major knowledge gaps in salt-induced signaling pathways, () increasing the spatial and temporal resolution of our knowledge of salt stress responses, () discovering and considering crop-specific responses, and () including halophytes in our comparative studies are all essential in order to take our approaches to increasing crop yields in saline soils to the next level.

The root growth of most crop plants is inhibited by soil salinity. Roots respond by modulating metabolism, gene expression and protein activity, which results in changes in cell wall composition, transport processes, cell size and shape, and root architecture. Here, we focus on the effects of salt stress on cell wall modifying enzymes, cellulose microfibril orientation and non-cellulosic polysaccharide deposition in root elongation zones, as important determinants of inhibition of root elongation, and highlight cell wall changes linked to tolerance to salt stressed and water limited roots. Salt stress induces changes in the wall composition of specific root cell types, including the increased deposition of lignin and suberin in endodermal and exodermal cells. These changes can benefit the plant by preventing water loss and altering ion transport pathways. We suggest that binding of Na ions to cell wall components might influence the passage of Na and that Na can influence the binding of other ions and hinder the function of pectin during cell growth. Naturally occurring differences in cell wall structure may provide new resources for breeding crops that are more salt tolerant.Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

棉花是中国种植业生产中产业链最长的大田经济作物，其商品率高达95%以上，但棉花产业尚存在许多不足之处，需要涉棉企业、棉农、科技人员、学者进一步关注，如自主种业、品牌培育、清洁生产、统防统治、贸易依存度、产业安全、规模经济、产业组织等因素影响中国棉花的产业竞争力和可持续发展。中国棉花种植以新疆、黄河流域、长江流域为主，其中新疆棉花产量占全国产量的67%，已形成规模化和机械化种植，而长江、黄河流域仍以小规模种植为主，没有充分发挥新型经营主体的带动作用，无法形成规模化种植和机械化生产，且缺乏集棉花生产、加工、销售为一体的综合数据平台，在棉花的专业化服务、全程服务和托管式服务方面仅有数家。中国棉花产业未来发展方向和目标应是提升棉田生产规模化、机械化、智能化、信息化、服务社会化水平，研发轻简化生产技术使棉农有尊严快乐植棉，降低生产成本，解决谁来种地的问题，掌控棉花产业链条的主动权。文中从棉花产业链的供求角度出发，阐述了中国棉花种植面积和总产量大幅减少、产业布局上新疆一枝独秀、国内消费有所降低但供求形势有所好转、进口量长期大于出口量和纺织业优势递减的发展现状，分析了中国棉花产业在生产环节、产业布局、组织管理、平台建设等方面存在的问题，借鉴美国和澳大利亚在棉花品种、生产技术、机械化和国家政策的种植经验和发展优势，结合中国供给侧结构改革的政策背景，从培育棉花新品种、研发轻简化和机械化新技术、投入农机设备、优化品种品质和区域布局、科学防治病虫害提高棉花质量、制定棉花目标价格制度、提高棉花生产保险额度、加大对棉农、棉商、农机制造商、纺织企业、出口商等的补贴力度和政策保障力度、发挥产学研优势和棉花协会功能、构建产供销一体化平台、完善棉花供需调控体系、建设现代植棉业服务体系、借助“一带一路”契机带动棉花和纺织业走出国门等多个层面提出相应的对策建议，从而刺激国内有效供给，尽快实现中国棉花产业供需平衡。最后，对中国棉花产业进行展望，将“三去一降一补”应用于棉花产业，并顺应全球棉花去库存的格局，未来两年棉价将有所上涨。

Cotton is the longest chain of field commercial crops of China’s planting industry, which the commodity rate is as high as more than 95%, but still exists many shortcomings of the cotton industry which require further attention from cotton enterprises, cotton farmers, scientific and technical personnel, and scholars, such as independent seed industry, brand cultivation, cleaner production, unified management and pest control, dependence on foreign trade, industrial security and economies of scale, industrial organization and other factors that influence China's cotton industry competitiveness and sustainable development. The major production areas of cotton in China are Xinjiang, the Yellow River basin and the Yangtze river basin, for example, Xinjiang cotton production accounts for 67% of the national output and has formed scale and mechanization planting, but the Yangtze river basin and the Yellow River basin still practice the small scale economy, not full play the leading role of the new type of management main body, the scale planting and mechanized production, is lack of the integrated data platform of cotton production can not be formed, and processing and marketing, and only several departments are engaged in professional service, one-on-one full service and hosted service. The development direction and goal of cotton production in China should be improved the level of cotton production scale, mechanization, intelligence, informationization, socialization service, development of light-simplified production technology that makes cotton farmers to grow cotton more happily and with more dignity, reduce production cost, solve the problem who is going to a tiller of the ground, control tightly cotton industry chain. From the Angle of the cotton industry chain of supply and demand, this paper expounded the present situation of development of cotton industry that the Chinese cotton planting area and output decreased, the industrial layout in Xinjiang outshines others, the domestic consumption has decreased, but the supply and demand situation has been improved, the imports are greater than the exports over a long period of time and the advantages of textile industry decreased gradually, and so on. A series of problems about Chinese cotton industry in the production process, the industrial layout, organization and management, and platform construction were analyzed. Based on the practice of the growing experience and development advantages of the United States and Australia in cotton varieties, production technology, mechanization and national policy, combining with the policy background of China's reform of structure of the supply side, the corresponding countermeasures and suggestions were put forward including cultivating new cotton varieties, researching new technology of light-simplified and mechanized production, the input of agricultural machinery equipment, optimization of varieties, quality and area layout, scientifically preventing and controlling plant diseases and insect pests to improve the quality of cotton, develop cotton price target system, improve the insurance amount of cotton production, increase subsidies and policy support dynamics of cotton farmers, cotton business, agricultural machinery manufacturers, textile companies, exporters and so on, giving play to the advantages of production and cotton association function, building platforms of production-supply-sales integration, perfecting the regulation system of cotton supply and demand, construction of the modern cotton industry service system, driving the cotton and textile industry abroad with the help of One Belt And One Road, and so on, in order to stimulate domestic effective supply, achieve the equilibrium of supply and demand of China's cotton industry as soon as possible. Finally, the prospects for China's cotton industry were presented, the three cuts-one reduction-one subsidy (cut overcapacity, cut stores, cut levers-one-reduction-one subsidy) should be used in cotton industry and conform to the pattern of global cotton to get rid of the inventory, and cotton prices will be higher in the coming two years.

K⁺是植物生长必需的营养元素。K⁺被植物根系吸收后,有效地向地上部转运,在跨膜转运的过程中主要由次级K⁺转运蛋白和K⁺通道介导。KT/HAK/KUP和HKT家族是参与植物体内K⁺吸收及转运的两类主要K⁺转运蛋白,其中HKT家族参与K⁺转运的成员仅存在于单子叶植物中,它们在植物生长发育、渗透调节等过程中均发挥重要作用。Shaker家族是K⁺通道中最早发现且研究最为深入的一类电压门控型通道,是植物K⁺吸收的重要途径之一。本研究从结构特征、定位和组织表达、功能调控等方面对植物KT/HAK/KUP家族、HKT家族和Shaker通道进行综述,最后对未来的主要研究方向做了展望。

As one of the major nutrients, potassium (K⁺) is essential for plant growth and development. Large amounts of K⁺ need to be taken up from the soil and transported throughout the plant. The K⁺ transporters and the K⁺ channels mainly mediate K⁺ transport across the plasma membrane and the tonoplast membrane in plants. The HAK/KUP/KT family and the HKT family are two main groups of proteins which have been widely associated with K⁺ uptake and transport, and they fulfill diverse roles in plant growth processes, salt tolerance and osmotic potential regulation. K⁺-permeable members of HKT family seem to be present in monocots only. The Shaker family, comprising voltage-gated channels, dominate the plasma membrane conductance of K⁺ in most environmental conditions. This review summarizes recent research and progress in understanding of the structure, localization, expression, function and regulation of three main K⁺ transport families. We also propose research hotspots and directions for future K⁺ research.

为了探究盐胁迫下无芒雀麦（Bromus inermis）幼苗叶片形态及解剖结构的适应性变化，本研究以‘乌苏一号’无芒雀麦（Bromus inermis Leyss.‘Wusu No.1’）为材料，分别采用NaCl：Na₂SO₄：Na₂CO₃=4：1：0（A盐），NaCl：Na₂SO₄：Na₂CO₃=1：4：0（B盐）和NaCl：Na₂SO₄：Na₂CO₃=1：1：8（C盐）3种混合盐进行胁迫处理，其中A，B盐为中性盐，C为碱性盐，每种混合盐均设置四个不同的电导率（Electrical conductivity，EC）梯度5，10，15，20 ms&#183;cm^-1，以浇灌自来水为对照组（CK）。试验结果表明，当C盐EC值为15 ms&#183;cm^-1，A和B盐EC值均为20 ms&#183;cm^-1时，各处理下幼苗的生长受到明显抑制；3种混合盐处理下，随着EC的增加，中脉厚度、主脉维管束直径、上下表皮细胞厚度、木质部面积变化均呈显著下降趋势，而上角质层厚度、韧皮部面积则表现出先增后降的变化趋势。总之，EC值-1</sup>时，碱性盐比中性盐更促进无芒雀麦叶片各项指标的增长，当EC值>10 ms&#183;cm^-1时，碱性盐对幼苗的抑制作用显著大于中性盐。

In order to investigate the adaptive changes of leaf morphology and anatomical structure of <i>Bromus inermis</i> seedlings under salt stress,the <i>Bromus inermis</i> Leyss.‘Wusu No.1’ was taken as test material,three mixed salts,NaCl:Na₂SO₄:Na₂CO₃=4:1:0(A salt),NaCl:Na₂SO₄:Na₂CO₃=1:4:0(B salt) and NaCl:Na₂SO₄:Na₂CO₃=1:1:8(C salt) were conducted.Salt A and B are neutral salts,Salt C is an alkaline salt,Four different Electrical conductivity(EC) gradients(5,10,15,20 ms&#183;cm^-1) were set for each mixed salt,and the control group(CK) was irrigated tap water. The results showed that seedlings' growth was significantly inhibited when the EC of C salt was 15 ms&#183;cm^-1 and of A and B salt was 20 ms&#183;cm^-1. With the increase of EC,the thickness of midrib,the diameter of vascular bundle,the thickness of upper and lower epidermis cells,and the area of xylem decreased significantly,while the thickness of the upper cuticle and the area of phloem increased first and then decreased. In conclusion,when EC value <10 ms&#183;cm^-1,alkaline salt promoted the growth of various indexes of Bromus inermis leaves more than neutral salt. When EC value > 10 ms&#183;cm^-1,the inhibitory effect of alkaline salt on seedlings was significantly greater than that of neutral salt.

【目的】 维持细胞内离子稳态是作物重要的耐盐机制之一。研究不同盐碱胁迫下棉花离子组响应特征和耐盐基因表达的差异,为深入认识棉花耐盐机理和提高棉花耐盐性提供依据。【方法】 以鲁棉研24号为试验材料,在盆栽控制条件下设置3种盐碱胁迫类型（盐胁迫、碱胁迫和复合盐碱胁迫）和2个梯度水平（低盐碱和高盐碱）,并以无盐碱胁迫处理为对照。测定棉花植株干物质质量以及根系形态指标根长、根表面积和根体积。采用电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱仪（ICP-AES）测定棉花各器官P、Na、K、Ca、Mg等13种元素含量,并采用实时荧光定量聚合酶链式反应技术测定了耐盐相关基因GhDFR1、GhSOS1、GhNHX1和GhAKT1的相对表达量。【结果】 1）不同盐碱胁迫显著抑制棉花生长,复合盐碱胁迫棉花生长抑制率（48.7%~57.9%）显著高于盐胁迫（27.6%~49.9%）和碱胁迫（21.2%~35.5%）。盐胁迫和复合盐碱胁迫下,棉花地上部和根系生长均显著受抑制,地上部干物质质量、根长、根表面积和根体积显著降低;而碱胁迫对根系的抑制作用相对较小。2）3种盐碱胁迫下,棉花体内Na含量显著增加;各器官Mo含量也均显著增加,叶片和根系N含量降低。3）盐胁迫下,棉花Ca、Mg、Fe、Mn、Zn吸收受抑制,通过促进这些离子以及P、K的转运,维持体内离子平衡。4）碱胁迫下,除Ca、Mg、Fe、Mn、Zn以外,P的吸收也受到抑制,但K的吸收以及P、K、Ca、Mg、Fe、Mn、Zn向地上部转运受到促进。5）复合盐碱胁迫尤其是高盐和pH值环境下,主要营养元素吸收均受抑制,Ca、Mg、Zn、Mn、Fe转运能力降低。6）盐胁迫下,GhSOS1和GhAKT1基因相对表达量显著增加,在碱胁迫和复合盐碱胁迫下呈先增后降趋势;3种盐碱胁迫下,表现为碱&gt;盐&gt;复合盐碱胁迫。GhNHX1基因相对表达量随土壤盐碱度增加先增后降,表现为盐&gt;碱&gt;复合盐碱。【结论】 复合盐碱胁迫由于高盐度和pH叠加效应显著抑制棉花生长和离子吸收,制约P、K、Ca、Mg、Zn、Mn、Fe向地上部转运,使棉花K、Na离子调控能力下降导致离子失衡。

【目的】在300 mmol&middot;L^-1 NaCl 胁迫下，观察并测定海岛棉耐盐性强的品系越海9号和耐盐性弱的品系PS-7叶片、茎细胞解剖结构和生理学指标，从形态学和生理学两个水平研究海岛棉苗期响应盐胁迫的应答机制，为棉花耐盐材料的筛选提供理论依据和技术方案。【方法】采用水培方法，待棉苗生长至3叶期时，开始进行300 mmol&middot;L^-1 NaCl胁迫处理。运用光学显微技术及生理学指标测定法，在不同NaCl胁迫处理时间下，对海岛棉耐盐性强的品系越海9号和耐盐性弱的品系PS-7进行形态学观察及生理学指标分析。【结果】2份海岛棉材料对 NaCl 胁迫的反应不同。随着300 mmol&middot;L^-1 NaCl处理时间的延长，与对照相比，越海9号和PS-7的叶片和茎的横切面面积均显著变小，处理24 h时，分别变小14.10%、54.69%与45.30%、87.90%，PS-7的变化幅度大于越海9号；处理12 h时，PS-7维管束中木质部已经损害严重，越海9号维管束中木质部则没有明显变化；PS-7的栅栏组织细胞在处理24 h时由长圆柱形变为卵圆形，越海9号的栅栏组织细胞的形状则没有变化。生理学研究表明，越海9号叶片中的叶绿素含量、超氧化物歧化酶和过氧化物酶活性在整个处理过程中均高于PS-7，而其丙二醛含量却明显低于PS-7；在300 mmol&middot;L^-1 NaCl处理8 h时，越海9号和PS-7中的丙二醛含量、叶绿素含量、超氧化物歧化酶和过氧化物酶活性均达到了显著性差异。【结论】叶片中栅栏组织和茎中木质部可能是海岛棉响应盐胁迫的最敏感部分，叶绿素、丙二醛、超氧化物歧化酶和过氧化物酶可作为鉴定耐盐棉花材料的生理学指标。

Phytohormones participate in various processes over the course of a plant's lifecycle. In addition to the five classical phytohormones (auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, abscisic acid, and ethylene), phytohormones such as brassinosteroids, jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, strigolactones, and peptides also play important roles in plant growth and stress responses. Given the highly interconnected nature of phytohormones during plant development and stress responses, it is challenging to study the biological function of a single phytohormone in isolation. In the current Review, we describe the combined functions and signaling cascades (especially the shared points and pathways) of various phytohormones in leaf development, in particular, during leaf primordium initiation and the establishment of leaf polarity and leaf morphology as well as leaf development under various stress conditions. We propose a model incorporating the roles of multiple phytohormones in leaf development and stress responses to illustrate the underlying combinatorial signaling pathways. This model provides a reference for breeding stress-resistant crops.